Worrying Signs?

After the draw with Liverpool we head into the international break with 5 points from three games and unbeaten. But is that masking the worrying signs within each performance?

By Trevor Lloyd @TrevorLloyd92

When you look at how we started last season, we've already improved points wise as we didn't pick up our first three points until we met Sunderland on match day five.

However, when you look at the performances in the three matches played so far, it hasn't been good viewing and there are signs in these games that have me concerned that all is not well.

Eriksen

This for me is the most worrying aspect of our season thus far. He appears to have lost all of his energy, drive, work-rate and bottle. Giving the ball away in important areas, pulling out of tackles and being slow to react is not what we were hoping for from our playmaker. When things are tight and he is doing this, it puts us on the back foot. He is still yet to sign his contract and maybe his head has been turned elsewhere, with rumours of Juventus being interested having been around for the past 2 years. I hope this is the not case as I love Eriksen and think when he plays well, we very rarely lose.

Our Bench

I touched on this in my last piece and it scares the hell out of me. Our current bench is so void of any quality or game changers that it really could cost us again. Can anyone honestly tell me that the bench we had against Liverpool, with Winks and Onomah, are better alternatives than Son or Chadli? Both seem to be following Mason and Bentaleb out of the club, which without replacing them, could become a massive problem if injuries mount up.

Players Being Exiled

Players of last year, some of whom played in vital games and stepped up well when needed, can't seem to make the bench this season. Players such as Chadli, Son, Wimmer and Trippier. Again, this is a strange/confusing situation as Son, Wimmer and Tripper have all played played well when Pochettino has called on them.

In fact Wimmer filled in so well when Vertonghen became injured that many fans, including myself, thought it was harsh when he was dropped as soon as the former was back from injury. He even signed a new deal in the summer and now seems to be cast aside.

As first seasons go, Son had a fairly good one and really came into his own after Christmas, scoring some vital goals and assists. He quickly became someone who could change the course of the game when he was brought on. Again, he has to be a better option than Winks off the bench when we need a goal.

Finally, when Walker went off against Liverpool, he was replaced by Janssen. Pochettino after the game commented: “Walker going off changed our game plan”. But in Trippier's first season, the manager rotated his full backs in virtually every game from December until January, with Trippier coming in for Walker and playing very well. He plays a similar sort of game as he likes to stay wide and get up and down the pitch.

Where has the High Press Gone?

A massive feature of our game last season is nowhere to be seen in the opening 3 games this term. Not even the energetic players like Lamela, Alli or Kane, seem to be chasing and pressing as much, closing down in the final third and winning the ball back.

We scored a lot of our goals by forcing the opposition into mistakes and with Liverpool's defence being poor on the ball, as Burnley proved last weekend, we didn't once rush them or make them panic. Hopefully, as the months go on and the players get their match fitness and sharpness back, this aspect of our game makes a comeback.

I really don't want to come across as being too negative as yes, we have 5 points in the bag without playing our best football and we are clearly missing Dembele. But despite being unbeaten the signs are there for us all to see. We have Champions League starting soon and that will be a massive test for us and our depth, and as I ended my article a few days ago with a plea for new signings, I can only hope that the club are not done in the market.

(Let me know your opinions on these matters by leaving a comment or find me on Twitter at @TrevorLloyd92)

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