A Midsummer Squad Analysis

With the start of the new season officially a month away, and two key acquisitions now officially completed, it looks like Pochettino has the squad with which he is prepared to begin the preseason. After bringing in Victor Wanyama and Vincent Janssen, Spurs now look to have the depth to compete on all four fronts this season, including, most notably, the Champions League. Here’s a quick look at the projected depth chart for this season.

Article by James Jimmerson

This starting lineup was Spurs’ best XI last season and there is nothing to suggest that Pochettino will move away from this setup after Dembele serves his suspension. As for the squad’s backup options, by bringing in Wanyama and Janssen, Spurs have two more like-for-like replacements for their traditional starters (in addition to Davies, Wimmer, Trippier, and Vorm from last year). That said, there are still questions about how Pochettino will finalize this squad as this is (likely) not to be the Spurs’ depth chart after the summer transfer window closes.

Three Thoughts:

The Obvious Gaps

Despite bringing in two very capable support options in Wanyama and Janssen, there are still some places where the team has little (or no) true cover. The position behind Toby Alderweireld is largely vacant. Fazio is still on the club’s books but Pochettino must have seen enough of him in the League Cup loss to Arsenal that he effectively banished him from the team until his loan spell to Sevilla. This leaves only Cameron Carter-Vickers—a young player with tremendous potential—but one who only made the matchday XVIII once last season. Neither of these players should be counted on this year to provide adequate cover for Alderweireld.

Likewise, the club is missing a like-for-like substitute for Dembele. Mason, Carroll, and (to a lesser extent) Bentaleb all filled in for Mousa at different points last year, but no one came close to filling his shoes (the club were 4-2-5 in the league when he didn’t start). While he was considered to be the best box to box midfielder in Europe last year, the drop-off in production without him is concerning.

How will the Pochettino Respond to Injuries/Suspensions/Fixture Congestion?

Last year we saw how Pochettino liked to rotate his starters when adequate cover was available. Players like Davies, Wimmer, and Trippier were given regular starts when the schedule brought multiple matches per week. Conversely, without reliable backup options, Pochettino had a tendency to play certain starters every match (Alderweireld, Dier, and Kane are the most obvious examples). This year, with Wanyama and Janssen, we should see additional rotation of key players. While Champions League fixtures are likely to require Spurs’ best XI, Pochettino will likely try to rotate the squad for the “easier” league games after European matches (fixtures against Sunderland and Bournemouth come to mind). Given that Spurs lack a true backup at every position, there will inevitably be positional changes to give certain players rest (for example, Dier moving to CB in place of Alderweireld).

What, if any, Additional Transfer Activity Should We Expect?

This summer, the club clearly made a point to bring in certain players early in the window. With a new defensive midfielder and striker in tow, Spurs look much more robust up and down the squad sheet. Media and ITK reports suggest that Pochettino is not done yet, but that the next transfer will likely take more time to be completed. The club is specifically looking for an attacking midfielder and would be willing to bring in another center half if the right opportunity presented itself. For now, though, supporters should not expect any further acquisitions before the matches in Australia take place.

Similarly, Pochettino has stated that he will wait until the preseason is complete before authorizing the sale of any players. While it is likely that there will be multiple exits this summer, it is still unclear who will depart. Chadli, Bentaleb, Mason, Carroll, and Pritchard are the ones most likely to transfer away, but the club will surely not let all of them go (given the scarcity of the support behind Dembele, it is not likely that the club sill sell two of the following three: Mason, Carroll, and Bentaleb). Because Pochettino wants to see how these players perform before letting any leave, any reports of contemplated transfers are merely speculation at this point.

Overall, the team is in a great position to build on the success from last season. With reinforcements to provide additional cover and players getting healthy, it is hard not to be optimistic about this next season. Many will be clamoring for one more signing (Gotze?), but we all should not forget that the club did its most important business before the transfer window even opened - re-signing Pochettino to an extended deal. With him at the helm, all things are possible for this club.

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