Easy win for Spurs, but still issues to fix

Tottenham Hotspur eased past LASK to get their first win in the group stages of their 2020/21 Europa League campaign. A 3-0 home win against the Austrian outfit saw Spurs pick up their first three points in Group J.

Debutant Vinicius has a storming start:

It was a brilliant night for Spurs newbie Carlos Vinicius who had a debut to remember by assisting two of Tottenham’s three goals. The newcomer also forced LASK defender Andrade to get the decisive touch that unfortunately turned the ball into his own net. Vinicius was prominent across the front line, making clever runs and always looking for space to receive a pass. He bought about a renewed energy that was only matched by that of Lucas Moura and Son Heung-min. The only thing lacking for Vinicius was a goal, but with such a bright start, it is clear that the Brazilian will be intrinsic to any success that Tottenham have this season. After a scintillating 86 minutes, the loanee from Benfica was subbed off for young English winger Jack Clarke, but it is clear to see that he will have a lasting impact on this Tottenham side.

Moura that needed:

Lucas Moura also had a fantastic game and has firmly reiterated his desire to be chosen as part of Mourinho’s strongest XI. The European stage sets Moura alight and brings to the forefront his effort and impeccable skill, which will hopefully be demonstrated more frequently this season.

New reserve goalkeeper Joe Hart also had a positive game, seeming confident and in control when called upon, capable of making decent saves and clearing without panic where necessary. Whilst Paulo Gazzaniga is an excellent back-up option, Hart provided a steady, experienced hand that offered a composed presence between the sticks for Tottenham.

Areas to improve:

Although the score line and immense praise for particular players might suggest otherwise, there are still gaping issues in the Tottenham team that promptly need seeing to. Although Jose Mourinho’s style of play is slowly emerging, with the team showing some prowess on the European stage, Tottenham still need to work on their inconsistency among other issues if they are to compete on the cutting edge in this competition.

One issue that is prominent within the squad is the lack of diversity in terms of player style. There are plenty of players for each position, yet the variety amongst these players is sparse. This is particularly clear in midfield. There is a multitude of players that are way too similar: Dele Alli, Erik Lamela, Giovanni Lo Celso, Steven Bergwijn and also to some extent Lucas Moura and Gareth Bale. It is clear that Mourinho still isn’t sure which of these players make his final cut and which ones gel nicely together.

Rightly so, Lamela was substituted off for like-for-like Dele Alli on 62 minutes after a couple of selfish attempts and incorrect decisions on the Argentine’s part. Milton Keynes born Alli, who has been subject to public scrutiny by his manager in recent months, had a decent reintroduction to game time for Spurs. Despite not looking too impressed with comments made to him by Mourinho before coming on to the field, Alli bought some creativity to the team that had been previously lacking. He was definitely a worthy replacement for the ineffectual Lamela, however, his in the longer-term, it’s hard to see that he will be considered ahead of Lo Celso and Bergwijn in the attacking midfield role.

Again, positional uncertainty reigns when it comes to centre-backs. Mourinho is clearly a fan of Eric Dier, who is being moulded into a permanent centre-back under his Portuguese manager. Left out of the starting line up tonight was Toby Alderweireld who is one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League. Again it would appear that Mourinho is uncertain over who best sits in this role. This is clear when you consider that tonight Welshman Ben Davies was given the captaincy whilst playing in the centre-back position, instead of in his usual left-back role. Davies made the role his own and was incredibly comfortable there, impressing Spurs fans across social media. Whilst it is clear Mourinho favours £25 million summer signing Sergio Reguilón at left-back, what isn’t certain is whether Davies will now be forced into the middle if he wants to get game time. This position is in high demand with Colombian Davinson Sánchez and Englishman Japhet Tanganga also vying for the position also.

Although it is of course better to have more players than positions, it seems Tottenham are very heavy in these two areas, meaning some of these players don’t even become first-reserves in their respective positions and subsequently lose match fitness. There are also other positions across the park that need strengthening, therefore this overcompensation in particular positions needs to be analysed and amended by the Tottenham staff.

Homecomer Gareth Bale got his first start for Spurs since 2013, but was surprisingly quiet and underwhelming. Having said this however, he was not ineffectual. What wasn’t surprising however, was that Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho had seen enough from Bale and substituted the Welshman after 61 minutes. Bale has been away from serious game time for a long while, so it’s unsurprising that his nee manager chose to withdraw Bale part way in to the second half. This was also a necessary tactic in order to inject some pace in to what had been a quiet game since the half-time restart. The electric Son Heung-min was Bale’s replacement who cooly slotted home Tottenham’s third goal in the 84th minute.

Whilst bringing some much needed grit and physicality to the Tottenham side, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg had been referred to at half-time by manager Mourinho as ‘Zidane’. This direct comparison was drawn due to his passion-incited aggression. Again, rightly substituted 15 minutes in to the second half, going forward, Højbjerg needs to ensure that his anger doesn’t get the best of him. It is clear that this emotion could lead to heated embroilment or wild, reckless challenges if not reigned in and controlled.

Going forward:

Despite this, it is obvious that Højbjerg’s intensity motivates others. Fellow midfielders Moussa Sissoko and Harry Winks kept up their intense pressing of LASK players when they didn’t have the ball and made sure to dive in to tackles also. Having said this though, control and retaining possession in midfield is still something that needs work. Going forward it is imperative that Tottenham players learn to keep their shape and start to press without losing focus and poise. If they want to continue their successful start in this European campaign, Jose needs to promote the same intensity amongst all of his players but ensure that his players don’t lose control of their emotions, their structure as a team and their skills as individuals.

---

---