Surprise! Tottenham Hotspur are in a European final on Wednesday!
Not a surprise! Tottenham Hotspur’s squad is a televised medical drama in real time! Take that, The Pitt!
Ange Postecoglou must be tearing out what is left of his hair as he prepares for what is the biggest match for this club in the last couple of years, and potentially the biggest match of his career. That locomotive in the tunnel has begun to look an awful lot like a bullet train, as Spurs players continue to drop like flies with all manner of injuries rendering key squad members unavailable for the Europa League final.
Thanks to this uncertainty, Ange and his coaching team have likely had to plan, and replan, and plan again a huge number of contingencies and tactical approaches to try deliver a long-awaited trophy to the Tottenham Hotspur faithful.
With this in mind, here’s a few ways Ange Postecoglou could send out his team (or what’s left of it).
Option 1: The Ange (Part Deux)
It’s hard to know exactly what the injury situation is with the Spurs squad right now. It is possible Pape Matar Sarr no longer has a torso. It is also possible that Lucas Bergvall is indeed the Prince who was Promised and has made a miraculous comeback from his season-ending injury. It is also possible neither of these players are available. If one is though, I believe this is Ange’s preferred lineup. If both were fit, Lucas Bergvall likely would win the spot most weeks, but if he does somehow work his way back from injury, I’d say it would be more likely via the bench.
You’ll note I’ve indicated a 4-2-3-1 shape as well, rather than a 4-3-3. Though Ange could have the team fluidly switch between the two, in big matches in recent weeks, Ange has opted for more of a double pivot in midfield; this seems to suit both Bissouma and Bentancur better, making Spurs much harder to break down and providing more coverage in transition. It does mean Spurs struggle to progress through the middle, but Spurs’ options along the backline help somewhat in alleviating that option, with Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie able to pull defenses out of shape with their pace and running games, and Cristian Romero and Pedro Porro able to hit a wonderball from anywhere.
It is possible as well that Ange opts to make further changes in the forward line; he may have concerns as to Son’s fitness, Richarlison has been in good form and could come in for either Son or Solanke, and Mathys Tel or Wilson Odobert could offer a point of difference in place of Brennan Johnson. I believe though that Postecoglou values Solanke’s all-round game in the striker position, trusts Son’s fitness enough after his minutes in recent matches, and wants somebody who can find the net in Johnson. Maybe that will be enough?
What if neither Sarr, nor Bergvall are fit?
Option 2: The Mourinho
How better to win a final than to invoke the spirit of the man who has won a trophy at every club he has managed? Spurs, is the exception to that rule, of course... so wouldn’t there then be some sort of bizarre, poetic justice in a win engineered off the principals of Mourinho-ball?
With midfield options potentially thin on the ground, a robust double pivot and operating in transition could be the way to go. Dom Solanke’s holdup play is generally excellent, and having Son buzzing around him, as well as the runs of Richarlison and Johnson on the wings to exploit the space between Manchester United’s wingback and center back (or two of the center backs) could work wonders for Spurs.
Protecting the defense while embracing some of the improved skill Son has shown as a creator over the last season or so in a side lacking creators is not the worst idea in the world. Wilson Odobert has also looked exciting playing off the striker at times, so Ange could alternatively decide that Son is best utilized exploiting the wide areas while Odobert unleashes his trickery and dribbling to move Spurs up through the middle.
If Mourinho-ball is too bitter for your taste, though, perhaps consider...
Option 3: The Sherwood
Spurs need to win this match. And who knows more about winning than Tim Sherwood, the Spurs manager with the highest win percentage during his tenure managing the side? Only a managerial savant can come up with ideas such as playing Aaron Lennon as a #10, Kyle Walker as a winger, and Nacer Chadli in central midfield.
With that in mind, why not shift Pedro Porro into midfield?
The aggregators have jumped all over this online, saying that Ange said he is considering this approach; of course, that is largely engagement farming and not really the case at all. The comments in question stemmed from a journalist asking Ange a very leading question about trying Porro in the middle of the pitch, to which Ange responded, “I think it’s all in the realms [of possibility].”
Not exactly a glowing endorsement.
Bringing Porro centrally though could enable Spurs to more effectively progress the ball through the middle thanks to the Spaniard’s ability on the ball; and would also enable the Spurs midfield to outnumber Manchester United’s likely double pivot. It would though have the trade-off of effectively removing Porro’s long balls from deep (ahem), a quite fruitful way of unlocking the Spurs attack over the last little while, as well as bringing Djed Spence into the side, a player who hasn’t exactly been setting the pitch alight in recent weeks.
Too crazy for your liking? Well...
Option 4: The Conte
A lineup straight from the mind of the man who is such a winner, he couldn’t bear to stay with a loser club like Spurs. There’s no way we could ever achieve his lofty vision, that’s just how good he is! Why not then embrace his ideals?
The problem here is that Spurs have never really trained or played in this manner under Ange Postecoglou. This would be a huge change for the side; but it wouldn’t be without its benefits. A 3-4-3 would allow Spurs to go man-for-man with Ruben Amorim’s side. The Portuguese manager also prefers a 3-4-3, with the hallmarks of his play attacking via transition: patient, quick, short passing, drawing a defense out before bursting into quick vertical attacks. If that sounds familiar, it’s because it has a lot of similarities to Conte-ball; the differences largely being out of possession, with Amorim often liking to press aggressively rather than absorbing pressure.
United have though struggled themselves when pressed due to a distinct lack of technical ability in their squad (sound familiar again?), and a man-marking system could go some way to shutting down any buildup - particularly when you have Cristian Romero tracking (and clattering) Bruno Fernandes anywhere he goes.
Is it likely? No. Could it work? ...Maybe!
There you have it. Four wonderful ways this wonderful team could line up in order to deliver a wonder trophy on a wonderful night. This is football, and it’s not played on paper, so in some ways it doesn’t matter who Ange names; anything could happen!
I, for one, choose belief. This is Spurs’ time. COYS!
