Midfield Mind Tricks

Life certainly is better now that the Premier League has recommenced. Food tastes better. Your feet feel lighter. Sleep comes easier. It's like Christmas morning every weekend from now until May. You go to bed at night with visions of Hugo Lloris dancing in your head, too, right? My psychological issues aside, it is an understatement for me to say, I'm glad the boys are back.

Article by Cam Lessard

The Manchester United match was odd. The loss had more to do with circumstance rather than actual quality. On the surface, it is fair to say Spurs were the better team for 99% of the entire game. If Eriksen's lob goes in and if Bentaleb puts a little spicy mustard on that ill-fated pass, we'd be talking about how Spurs are sure to make a run at the Champions League. Instead, we are left questioning the condition of the defensive midfielders... Which to me, is a good thing.

Let's just say it, the Bentaleb and Dier combination is not perfect. Sure, Mason is not completely fit. Sure, Stambouli is sold off. Sure, Alli is younger than most college students. But aren't all of them better matches for Bentaleb than the lumbering, clumsy Eric Dier? I love Eric Dier to pieces. I think he has a ton to offer. I think his grit and physicality are essential. Having said all that, I don't think he is a midfielder. Dier played great on Saturday, don't get me wrong, but is Bentaleb to thank for that? It was clear that Bentaleb personally kept Dier on a bit of a leash and over compensated by rushing movement. In fact, I'm not sure Bentaleb makes that horrible pass if he has Mason paired with him.

So, what is Poch's motive in playing Dier at Defensive Midfield? Could it be to force Bentaleb to be more offensive? Out of the favorite pairing of last season, Mason and Bentaleb, it was Bentaleb who always played more defensively. Bentaleb has potential to be a box-to-box player. I'm not saying he will be Yaya Toure, but there is offensive ability waiting to be tapped. Has Poch realized that in order for Mason to be effective he needs to be allowed to carry the ball, take chances, and create offense, but also that it will only hinder Bentaleb?

Alternatively, could Poch's vaulting of Dier to DM be an S.O.S. message to Levy? To me it screams, "Hey Daniel, look at who you are forcing me to play, here! Can we just spend the £20million on Sven Bender, already?!"

Either way, we all know Poch is building something for the long term, so, it makes sense to thrust unfamiliar responsibility on Bentaleb's shoulders and to see what Dier has to offer as a utility player. So far, Spurs may have lost to Manchester United because of it. The end product, however, is so far from being complete.

Bottom line, as Aesop puts it, "familiarity breeds contempt." Absolutely, Mason and Bentaleb could be a serviceable duo for the next half decade. They could go out there, make incredible plays one day and pull stunts like Saturday's atrocity the next. Bentaleb has grown too familiar with Mason and, surprisingly, has been willing to use Mason's tenacity as a crutch. Bentaleb can be a star, he just can't develop into the well-rounded player we see glimpses of playing with Mason. Bentaleb needs to hone the edges of his raw offensive ability, but can't do that with the defensively deficient Mason as his partner. If Poch can put up with the growing pains, he could harvest one of the best box-to-box midfielders on the planet. If Poch buckles and uses Mason and Bentaleb exclusively, we will have to wait another year to start scratching the surface of Nabil's potential.

It's a long way to go, but in cases like this, taking the bumps at the beginning could mean finding a fortune at the end. All in all, however, once healthy, I think Mason will be a full time fixture, but it's boring to not look for the conspiracy.

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