Patience with Pochettino’s Plan

Article by Rob Graal

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Let’s be honest, last Saturdays match wasn’t pretty. The result was thrilling, but the on field product was anything but. Mistakes were made, red cards were given, and Spurs are lucky they left Boleyn Grounds with any points, let alone all three.

Is it already time for Tottenham fans to start making comparisons to last year’s squad? One can’t help but see some parallels. Spurs held more possession, but had six less shots than their opponent. They looked less threatening than the West Ham attack, something that fans have grown accustomed to after last season. The only thing missing was the image of Tim Sherwood on the sideline.

This difference is the exact reason why Spurs fans need not worry. Mauricio Pochettino has come to Tottenham with a plan for long term success with attacking football. Despite the squad performing as it did, there are signs, within both the transfer window and Saturday’s match, that his plan is being implemented successfully.

Pochettino’s game plan since he came to Tottenham has always been a 4-3-3 formation focused on attacking football. We’ve seen this system implemented during the preseason successfully, not so much on Saturday against West Ham. But we also know that preseason football is nowhere close the pace of EPL competition. The players still have plenty to learn, and the learning curve is steep when playing against high competition.

Moments of what Pochettino is attempting to do with the squad could be seen during the West Ham match, they were just very short lived. With the 4-3-3 system wingers will advance farther up the field, enforcing Pochettino’s want for attacking football. Lamela did just that, create a few threatening runs down the sideline and even roaming into the middle of the pitch at times to create an attack. A 4-3-3 system also supports inverted wingers, such as Lamela or Townsend, more than other systems. Both of them in short bursts looked threatening on Saturday, especially with Townsend having a rocket from just outside the box saved by West Ham’s goalkeeper Adrian.

The strategy Pochettino has brought will not come without its hiccups. It’s going to take some players time to adapt. One of the most average players during Saturdays match was Christian Eriksen who at one point punted a cross into the upper deck of Boleyn Grounds. Eriksen often was driving up the field with the ball against defenders that were larger and usually as fast if not faster, causing him to lose possession often. That’s because in Pochettino’s 4-3-3 he will receive the ball slightly farther back into central midfield than if in the creative role in a 4-2-3-1 or even a 4-4-2. These two formations allowed Eriksen to sit just outside the box to distribute the ball. With the wingers sitting higher up, Eriksen in his creative role is expected to sit slightly farther back to prevent lopsided counter attacks. Don’t forget that these adjustments weren’t made easier with Kyle Naughton being sent off in the 28th minute. All of this new strategy is going to be part of the learning curve that Eriksen and company must trust and embrace in order to be successful this season. Eriksen is an intelligent player and therefore I have no doubt that he will be able to adapt and flourish in Pochettino’s system. The same expectations go for the rest of the squad. There’s logic to everything Pochettino does, it will simply take time for his strategy to become as efficient and effective as it can.

Honourable mention goes to the effective transfer window Pochettino has had. He recognised our defense was the spot we needed depth the most, shown last season when Capoue had to play an unfamiliar centre back position while injuries plagued Vertonghen, Chiriches, and Kaboul if I remember correctly. He also knew he did not have much flexibility when it came to spending, so he planned and did what he could effectively. Although we need to see some names depart from Tottenham, the added depth is a welcome sight after the struggles of last season.

Clearly any transition is going to take time. But it’s time for Spurs to have both patience and trust in Pochettino’s plan even if the on field result does not instantly scream change.

There are signs of what Pochettino wants to do and the success that it will bring. There’s evidence of a plan, something that was absent from last year’s squad. Tottenham are being led by a man who launched Southampton into the top 8 last season after they finished 14th a year before. If he can give a similar result to Spurs, fans will have nothing to fear this season.

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