Thin In Attack

Article by Brent Weber @BrentWeber73

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Thursday’s match against Partizan highlighted a very big problem. Although Pochetinno started his second squad with the exceptions of Vertonghen and Lloris, this match showed me just how thin we are in the attacking positions.

I’m not surprised we are thin at striker after failing to bring in a striker in the summer. Adebayor is very inconsistent but when motivated is a legitimate goal scoring threat. Soldado has failed to produce since joining last year. Kane is very physical but very raw. Depth at striker is a definite concern but this is not a surprise.

A bigger concern than a quality striker is the lack of depth in the attacking midfield. Eriksen, Lamela, and Chadli are good players and a very respectable starting 3 across the attacking line. However, we don’t have another creative playmaker behind Eriksen. In addition, we have no quality wingers behind Lamela and Chadli. Pochetinno has started every match this season in a 4-2-3-1 formation, which puts a lot of emphasis on the attacking 3 to create for the lone striker and score goals.

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Paulinho, Townsend, and Lennon started in the attacking midfield positions against Partizan. Paulinho played a decent match but he is just not an attacking player. He is skillful with the ball and makes an occasional penetrating pass but he is not quick on the dribble and can’t create for himself. He is a box- to-box midfielder and a straightforward player. We struggled for attempts on goal and never could break down the Partizan defense, and his lack of creativity was a major reason why.

Lennon struggled last night and has struggled since the season started. He has had his moments at Spurs but he is failing to make an impact now. He lacks the ability to create for himself and is completely a right-sided player. Pochetinno has thus far played him primarily on the left side and he has failed to adjust. In my opinion, he needs a change. I was surprised that he was not sold in this summer. I fully expect him to be sold in January.

Townsend completely frustrates me. He has raw athletic ability and tremendous pace but he appears to have digressed. He has not been able to beat defenders one on one, which has typically been one of his strengths. His decision-making has been poor and holds the ball too long. He tries to force play instead of playing within a system which creates issues and typically slows down ball movement.

Unfortunately, there are very few attacking options in the squad behind the starters. Bentaleb, Stambouli, and Capoue are more holding players than creators. Dembele is a good option as a creative mid and has even played wide positions in the past. However, I prefer him in a deeper midfield role. Now that Europa has started, the matches will start piling up quickly and depth will become even more important. We can’t start Eriksen, Lamela, and Chadli every match, which makes it harder to grasp why Siggy and Holtby were sold without bringing in another attacker.

Hopefully in January, we can add a striker, a winger, and a central attacker. The challenge is staying competitive until January with limited creative options while playing in multiple competitions. If we can’t get more production from Lennon and Townsend, Pochetinno might be forced to try 2 strikers to introduce attacking creativity. Hopefully, Lennon and Townsend can build some confidence and elevate their play but I’m not counting on them to deliver. Essentially, we need maximum production from Eriksen, Lamela, and Chadli until January!

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