The changes Ange should make to the starting XI for the trip to AFC Bournemouth
By Tom Vinall
1) Djed Spence for Pedro Porro
Against Fulham, we saw Porro put in his worst performance of the season so far, and probably his worst performance since Antonio Conte was in charge. The right-back was often out of position, was dribbled past five times, and failed to make an impact when Spurs had the ball.
This is not a pile on. It isn’t even really his fault. He played 90 minutes against Roma not even 72 hours before this game. The defender has already logged over 1600 minutes so far this season. He needs a rest. He will be better for it. In some positions, Ange has had his hands tied with rotation this season – but this is a position that could have been handled better, you feel.
Djed Spence impressed in pre-season, Ange publicly said he was happy with him, and he has signed a new contract. Yet, he has barely had a look in, and was not included in the Europa League squad – why? Just a very weird one to explain all around.
Thursday night would be the perfect opportunity to give him a start. If he is struggling, whether it be with sharpness, and/or performance, you can bring Porro on in the second half if needs be. The Spain international can’t keep starting games though, especially with the schedule coming up. Spurs have 8 games in the next 27 days, and will need to maximise the squad in that time.