Tottenham Hotspur continued preseason with a trip to New Zealand to take on A-League Champions Auckland FC.
With fixtures coming thick and fast over the coming weeks, Roberto De Zerbi was circumspect in his selections, opting for an extremely young squad on a cold, wet Sunday in Auckland. The visitors ended up running out 2-0 victors thanks to goals from Dane Scarlett and Richarlison, with both tap-in finishes: the first from a saved shot, the second from a Mathys Tel cutback.
Here's my top ten talking points from Spurs' Auckland fixture.
A huge crowd turned out in Auckland to get their first glimpse of Spurs in the flesh for fifty years, with some of the players looking surprised at the reception they got across both the match and the open training session the previous evening. They were also welcomed onto the pitch by Te Karanga (the call), part of a traditional powhiri, or welcome, in which visitors are called onto the land by Tangata Whenua (people of the land).
That may have been a culture shock for some of the players, but the other shock would have been the weather, with Auckland notorious for changeability. It was already damp when the players stepped out onto the pitch, but it was soon pouring down in what looked like absolutely miserable conditions, with the wet proving challenging for the players with slips and poor touches. Soon though, the sun came out, with players and fans alike probably breathing sighs of relief… until it started raining again in the second half.
There were several players missing from the squad in the previous friendly against MK Dons, but this match was even more stark when it came to absentees. Not only was the starting XI full of youth players, but the named squad had only a handful of the senior squad. It would have been disappointing for Kiwi fans who had not seen Spurs for around fifty years, but it made sense from a squad management perspective: Spurs arrived in Auckland following 30 hours of travelling less than 48 hours prior, and only a few days after the MK Dons match, with two more matches scheduled this week.
This meant risk mitigation was the name of the game, and also meant a number of young players got a chance to prove their worth to Roberto De Zerbi.
With such heavy squad rotation, there were some makeshift selections in certain positions. Against MK Dons, Luca Williams-Barnett and Jamie Donley, both attacking midfielders, lined up in central midfield in the second half; here, they started alongside Archie Gray in the middle of the pitch. This meant a slightly different setup to RDZ's typical 4-2-3-1, with Gray operating as a single pivot and Donley and LWB either side of him in more advanced positions.
This gave Spurs a numerical advantage through the middle in buildup, with lots of central progression before working the ball into wide areas where Spurs' attackers could exploit space and try catch defenders one on one. It also meant when Spurs turned the ball over, Auckland FC had plenty of space to counter, with the Lilywhites exposed on numerous occasions in transition.
Given the above, one could have assumed that RDZ wasn't taking this match seriously; the players certainly seemed to play like it for the first ten minutes or so. In fact, Auckland were by far the better team in the opening moments, with Spurs perhaps lucky not to concede as a number of poor turnovers allowed the Black Knights to find space in Spurs' penalty area, with final touches letting them down.
Spurs soon warmed to the task though, and after scoring their first goal (which could have been argued was against the run of play) largely controlled the rest of the half, with Auckland FC struggling to get out of their half. The second half unfortunately started in a similar manner to the first, with a couple of half-chances to Auckland needed to wake Spurs from their slumber in a spell of play that would have likely infuriated their coach.
It says a lot about how much Roberto De Zerbi rates Archie Gray in that he was named captain. The 20-year-old was everywhere in the first half, taking it on himself to pick up the ball from the center backs and drive Spurs forward, and often leading the press up the other end of the pitch. He looked a level above a number of the other footballers on the pitch on both sides, and one moment stood out where he received the ball with two defenders on his back, took a touch, and calmly turned in and laid off the ball while sending the opposition players the wrong way.
He stepped up in the final third as well, laying on a peach of a cross for the first goal. His ball in from the right was on an absolute platter for Manor Solomon, who really should have scored but for an outstanding save at close range from Auckland goalkeeper Michael Woud. Dane Scarlett, though, was on hand for the rebound, slotting a simple finish into the back of the net, with the goal all starting with Archie Gray.
Michael Woud's save on Solmon's shot preceeding the goal was excellent, with the New Zealand custodian also making one other very good save, but he wasn't the only goalkeeper called into action. Brandon Austin, Spurs' third choice keeper, was potentially a surprise selection in this match. He could have been forgiven as well for some rust, spending extended periods on Spurs' bench (or missing out on the squad altogether).
Instead, he stepped up when called upon, making a key save on perhaps Auckland FC's biggest chance. Striker Sam Cosgrove was played in behind the Spurs defense, with the forward chesting down the ball having only Austin to beat. Austin, though, rushed out, smothering the attempt and preventing a goal with his trailing legs. It's nice to know Spurs have somebody in that third keeper slot who can step up if required.
At this stage of preseason, matches are typically characterized by mass substitutions at half-time. It's what we saw against MK Dons, and you would have expected the same here, especially given the youth of the side De Zerbi named.
That wasn't the case, though, with RDZ keeping his starting XI on the pitch through 60 minutes. Maybe he didn't want to risk his more senior players; maybe he really wanted to test match fitness and see how his young side coped; but it was a tactic that would have raised some eyebrows, and certainly resulted in a significant increase in tempo when substitutions were finally made.
One of the young players who stood out in the second half against MK Dons was center back Malachi Hardy. He started today's fixture, and was tasked with marking a very physical striker in the form of Sam Cosgrove. Often young players struggle when facing up against an actual adult forward, and though Cosgrove is nowhere near the caliber of striker you would find in the Premier League, he is a beast of a man who loves to throw his weight around.
Hardy stepped up to the challenge admirably, using technique and guile to keep Cosgrove in check, covering space smartly, and calm on the ball in possession. In fact, he was kept on beyond the initial glut of substitutions, perhaps a sign that RDZ wanted to see more. He looks like one to watch for the future; he is likely some way off Spurs' senior squad, but could be a player for whom the front office looks to secure a loan.
With rumors floating around of Spurs prioritizing new winger and forward signings in the remainder of the summer transfer window, that meant pressure on a few hopefuls to put themselves front and center in De Zerbi's plans. Mikey Moore, bright against MK Dons, struggled somewhat in this match, loose in possession and often guilty of overplaying his hand; Manor Solomon, on the right, was a little (but not much) better, invisible for much of the first half outside of a couple of half-chances and his saved shot, often choosing the wrong option and dribbling into cul-de-sacs. Strangely, he actually looked more comfortable when shifted to a #10 role in the second half, driving at the box.
Mathys Tel, however, looked a level above when he came on, immediately targeting the opposition fullback and bamboozling him on multiple occasions with fancy footwork and clever body feints. It was this trickery that led to the second goal, with Tel beating his man down the left and playing a simple cutback to Richarlison for a tap-in.
Though Spurs' young XI performed admirably against a solid, albeit unspectacular side, there was a notable shift in quality when some of the more senior players in the squad stepped onto the pitch. Mateus Fernandes, Mathys Tel, Ben Davies, Richarlison, and Conor Gallagher all made second half appearances and Spurs immediately looked sharper for their presence.
From the substitutions onwards Auckland FC were largely stuck in their own half, and Spurs began to create chance after chance. At a risk of contradicting my earlier points, it was a clear example for all to see how meaningless these preseason friendlies can be when it comes to assessing quality, as the gaps in caliber between young and senior players, opposition teams, and relative fitness levels can mean extremely one-sided play. What RDZ will be looking at though is fitness, tactical implementation, and endeavor: the latter of which was present in spades both halves, with Spurs' players willing to take risks on the ball, very much an encouraging sign.
Screw it, we're gonna win the league.