Three reasons Tottenham should start Bryan Gil against Bournemouth

Tottenham needs first-half energy, and Gil is the definition of it

One thing has been apparent with Bryan since his first appearance for Tottenham; the young man gets around the pitch. Tottenham has struggled in the first halves of games to find the energy to maintain possession and make their opponents pay. Bryan can influence that.

Whereas most Spurs players tend to dwell on the ball as they control it, Gil is looking to move with it and let the ball do the work. Instead of stopping the ball and coming backward, most of Gil’s touches are positive as he looks to move the ball forward.

Defensively as a player who is going to press and bring a little chaos to the pitch, Bryan is apt to create opportunities for others on the team. If we look at the penalty he earned against Frankfurt, it was all from energy and effort off the ball and then moving quickly once he had it.

Ultimately, energy and pressing are contagious; there is nothing wrong with providing some of that in the first half and closing out a game instead of chasing one.

Gil is the inverted winger Tottenham needs with Deki out

One of the issues with Deki out is that Lucas Moura does not fit the same mold as the Swede. Both are direct players, but Lucas relies more on pace and his change of pace than does Kulusevski who plays with a bit more guile, skill, and physicality.

The other big difference between Deki and Moura is that Deki, like Son on the left, is an inverted winger.

If we look at Bryan, he, like Kulusevski, relies heavily on skill and some pluck. While Gil is not the physical presence Dejan is, he does stick his nose in and works with what he has. More importantly, and like Deki, Bryan is left-footed, thus an inverted winger when played on the right of a front three.

Whether it is Matt Doherty or Emerson Royal playing at the right wing-back position, they will have more room to operate with an inverted winger in front of them. Bryan, like Deki, tends to dribble toward the middle of the pitch and his favored left foot; this opens the space for overlaps and keeps things less crowded on the flank.

Having the threat to cut in, pass, or dare we even see Bryan shoot from the top of the box as he drives left, is a dangerous combination and something Moura cannot provide from the right side. Further, it is something the Spurs desperately miss with Deki out. While he cannot replace Deki, he does have some similar positive attributes as a footballer.

Do I think Bryan is going to start against Bournemouth? Not likely. However, if he does, we will know several of the reasons why.