Forget Sunday, Look to Tomorrow

Article by Cam Lessard

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Alright, that did not go as planned. I heard rumors that Spurs had a match Sunday, but I only saw Danny Rose out there. So, where was the rest of the team?

I think Kyle Walker is still trapped in Fellaini's hair. Can it be agreed on that Kyle Walker just isn't as good as he was?

Nacer Chadli has been seen pacing the training ground sidelines with an invisible ball at his feet, practicing passing the ball 2 seconds later than he should be.

"Nacer, ever hear of this guy, Harry Kane? Premier League player of the last two months? No? Well, he is really quite good and wants the ball sooner!

Eric Dier and Hugo Lloris are currently playing Paddy Cake the ball in the sand box.

All kidding aside, it is safe to say we have not seen as bad a half this season as we did on Sunday. To make matters worse, the Champions League hopes are totally dashed. Tottenham is now 6 points behind Manchester United for the last spot in the Top-4. Even if United was to be reigned in, surging Liverpool and steady Southampton would both need to be out-dueled down the stretch. To put it plainly, Tottenham is done. An explosive run of form from Harry Kane is the only thing that could provide hope in the remaining games, but given the dawdling condition of the wings and Christian Eriksen, I would be cautious to hold my breath waiting for that to happen.

So, let’s turn our attention to tomorrow. Right now, the future looks so bright in three pivotal positions: Striker, Harry Kane; Defensive Midfield, Ryan Mason and Nabil Bentaleb; Keeper, Hugo Lloris. Outside of this grouping, as constituted, there are so many questions about this squad that are going to linger.

Starting from the back, Eric Dier, Jan Vertonghen, and Kyle Walker could all be replaced, based on their performances this past Sunday. Eric Dier is only 21 and has shown glimpses of incredible ability both at right and center, so keeping him in play down the stretch is well worth any frustrations. More than likely, Vertonghen will remain, too. He has leadership and experience that, in all honestly, could only be matched by Younès Kaboul... But, no one wants that. Kyle Walker, who, after his abdominal injury and consequential surgery, just has not been the same player, was absolutely embarrassed by Marouane Fellaini and Ashley Young. Like many others, I would love to see DeAndre Yedlin get some chances in place of Kyle Walker. If the U21 starting line-up for the Norwich City match is any indication, Yedlin could be getting primed for some minutes with the top squad. It would be enjoyable to see some more youth injected.

This brings us to the midfield... Chadli, Lamela, Townsend, and Dembele have collectively been underwhelming. I'm not saying youngsters like Onomah, Winks, or Pritchard are a solution, but experience for youth players seems to be available given the current attacking midfield options on the wings. The breaking point for Pochettino is not here, yet, since Spurs are still mathematically in the Top-4 equation. If Spurs are officially out with matches remaining, however, why not give Chadli's minutes to Onomah? Why wait until next season? Since this one is all but over, growth is vital.

All in all, Poch needs to continue to tend to Kane, Eriksen, Mason, Bentaleb, and Dier. Even with this glut of young talent, he can’t afford to ignore the other pieces he has in wait. Poch can keep rolling out Sunday's line-up, but he definitely needs to consider shaking things up, once again. Regardless, we will press on, try to forget yesterday, and look to tomorrow.

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