No Eriksen, No Party.

Myself along with others called this when the Spurs line up was announced. For the second game out of our first 3 our Great Dane was on the bench. Now we all know the impact he had vs Villa in GW1. Where Poch’s introduction of him changed our formation and Tempo. This ultimately changed the game in our favour.

Again trailing 1-0 to a side we should be swotting aside with minimal ease. Not because we are Spurs and they are Newcastle. As they often say “Newcastle are still a big club”, fanbase, history it’s a yes. Current iteration it’s 100% a no. But we should with the perceived quality in the squad and in our Premier league standings in recent seasons. And if we have any ambition of finishing in the top 4, we need to consistently beat the 16 teams below that top 4.

However the facts if you look under the surface, show that things are not quite right. Even after our fourth place finish. The amazing, no matter what people say, run to the Champions League final. Breaking our transfer record twice* this summer. Moving into the best stadium in the country, one of the best in Europe. Here are some things that are of current concern.

Form

We have 4 wins in our last 10 Premier league games. 4 wins if you look at our last 15 Premier league games. 7 wins if you extend to 20 games. Horrible reading and if this were over one season you would call it “bottom half form”. I could point to our paper-thin squad last year. The gift and the curse of that breath taking run to the Final. Which mentally and physically had a baring on our team. The team did not use that momentum to propel ourselves in the league. It was used it as an excuse when things were not going as they “should” have. Top 4 was secured more on others failings than our killer instinct to secure the spot.

Squad

During the transfer window it was will anyone take advantage of the 25m clause in Toby’s contract. They didn’t and we rejoiced, well for now anyway. Next up was squad depth. Now from the outside looking in, it looks like we did ok business. Signed some very good and talented players. Ndombele, Sessegnon, Lo Celso.

Looking at this in reality means we have 3 replacements. 1 for the long departed Dembele, 1 for our current Yorkshire Rose and 1 for the wantaway Eriksen. So we have strengthened in quality but still not got the overall squad depth I would be happy with. We still only have one Forward of note in Kane. Others can play in that position but you would not be counting on them for a full season.

Super Jan

I really do not know what is going on behind the scenes but it needs to be sorted. Jan is more than a defender in this current Spurs set up. He dictates tempo at the back. Is comfortable coming out of the back with the ball at his feet. Likes to and is more than successful at passing out from his LCB position. He can take opposition players out of the game with a pass from deep and get us on the front foot.

He is all this and a leader. Is one of our longest serving players in the team. His qualities and leadership are sorely missed when he is not playing. Not even mentioned, is his impact on Sanchez when he plays with him. The great partnership he has with Toby and the fact we can go easily to a back 3 with him in the team. He does not have long left with Tottenham and we need to use him before he goes. Super Jan to the rescue? I hope so.

The Dane, on a plane should just f*%k off to Spain

As harsh as the heading sounds, something needs to happen. It is no good to have your most creative midfielder on the bench. We saw the impact vs Villa and we all know Spurs are a better side when he is in it. The facts are his contract ends in the summer and he can talk to overseas clubs in January. He has said himself he needs a new challenge but I do not know who is going to come in for him before the European Transfer window closes.

For us financially it is going to sting. You would value him around the 80m plus bracket if he was in a long term contract. But he is not, so anyone who flashes 50m, we would snap their hand off. But I cannot see who would take him. Real would be the destination. They have failed in securing a top tier Midfielder like Pogba or Eriksen. But they probably thought that Bale would have moved on by now. His failed transfer to China has hindered any big moves they might have intended to do.

So, all in all, in a week we will know if he has gone or not. But then we run the risk of not integrating fully, people like Lo Celso as we still seemingly need Eriksen in the team. It’s a hard one and Poch will bear the brunt of it if he is still not in the team in the short term. But he has to do what’s best or what he thinks is best for the team. I hope he stays but think he goes.

Tactics

4-2-3-1

We started the game in a standard Poch formation. Athletic fullbacks allowed to push on and a solid CB partnership. The deepest lying midfielders due to a Ndombele injury were Winks and Sissoko. Winks should have been able to create from deep. With Sissoko able to carry the ball forward and attempt to give it to the most attacking band of players.

Next up the attacking trio behind Kane. When your most creative midfielder is not in the starting line-up you know it could potentially be a struggle. Lucas was charged with coming off that right flank like he does. Trying to get into the box at opportune moments. Son, just returning from his 3 game ban he picked up last season vs Bournemouth. He was playing on his favoured left side. Able to cut inside or drive at the opposition’s full backs. Lastly, we have Lamela. Who performed so well in pre-season and got the first equaliser in last week’s draw at City. He was trying to be the number 10.

Terrible Trio

Now, no Eriksen is a worry. A trio of attacking wingers all in a fluid 3 behind a lone frontman is also a worry. Not one of them has the discipline to play the number 10 role that we required to break down this stubborn Bruce 5-4-1.

Lucas was drifting in and causing confusion in both camps. I love Lucas as an impact sub but he does not cut it in my Best 11. He is a space invader, sometimes for good and sometimes for worse. Do not get me wrong it’s better to have players in the box than not. However when he is in there more than your best striker it’s a worry.

Son, was not his usual sharp self. Understandable given it was his first game of the season. He made a couple of attacking runs and had a good shot saved. Unlike Lucas, Son mostly sticks to his wing during the match. He is very good at judging when to swap roles with Kane to cause the most carnage.

Lamela, as good he has been since pre-season, again would not be in our first choice 11. The Argentine has good facets to his game like his willing and ability to press. Possesses a decent eye for a through ball but lacks the nous to play the number 10 where he was “deployed”. Negatives are that he tends holds on to the ball far too long and sometimes likes to bustle his way through sometimes rather than using his skills on the ball.

Lone Ranger

Harry Kane has often played as the orthodox front man. Over the past few years, has seen off proven strikers at Spurs to establish himself as the number one. One thing he is lacking at the minute is a consistent (I know it’s 3 games in) supporting cast. Whether it’s one of Dele, Eriksen or Son or all of them to from the superpowered D.E.S.K. Needing to have that first choice supply line behind him to do what he does best consistently.

He was very quiet in the first half and started coming deeper and deeper to get the ball. This could have been to try and influence play with his passing. Or he was worried about the lack of forward progress the team was making. More on this further as you read on.

Stats

The first half stats went as follows.

Metric Spurs Toon Shots 3 4 Passes 394 114 Interceptions 4 8 Clearances 2 22 Touches 484 212

As you can see, we dominated in passes and touches. The defensive stats of Newcastle show that we put them under severe pressure. Or does it? Mostly our passes and touches were at CB and CM. Not enough penetration to hurt them or worry them. Their impressively stubborn 5-4-1 was so good at keeping us at bay. Like an average boxer with a longer range. If you do not have the tools to pick the lock and exploit a weakness how are you going to deliver a killer blow and win.

This set up was solidified when they got the goal. Ball floated over, Sanchez mistimed his jump and header. Not for the last time in this match, or first time in his Spurs career. For all his size and presence, he was bullied on Sunday by the Premier league newcomer. The Toon number 9 finished smartly after taking the ball well. And was a handful for our CB’s all game.

4-1-4-1

Fast forward 62 minutes and we were in desperate need of some serious creativity. Enter Eriksen and Lo Celso for the injured KWP and the ineffective Lamela. We moved Sissoko to RB where his energy and shuttling should have come in handy. Winks took up the deepest lying midfielder position, trying to get us going from deep. Further up the field we had the new duo behind Kane of Eriksen and new boy Lo Celso. Who has stopped “Stat padding” in Spain to try his hand at the Premier league. Flanks continued to be occupied by Lucas and Son, with Kane up top.

As exciting as it was, it smacked of desperation. Spurs needed the guile of an expert lock picker and maybe a clinical finisher. Instead we got two more creative passers in an already congested midfield. Lucas and Son continued to probe in and around the box and wings. But did not have much of an impact. Bruce made sure the team kept its shape and had full backs and wide players doubling up on them. Stopping crosses and any route to get into the box.

Confusion

Kane was still coming deep and never really got going in the match. Son and Lucas with their movement were now having a negative impact on the formation. By that I mean that it was too many cooks, both of them and Kane wanting to attack the same space. Lo Celso was left drifting wide to fill in for Lucas, which meant he was having to turn back to utilise his left foot. In a period of the game when we needed to have zip and purpose, this slowed down play considerably.

All the action at Newcastle’s end played into their hands. They blocked, intercepted, cleared and tackled their way to victory. A bit of time wasting from the seemingly seriously injured Joelinton helped as well.

Stats

Metric Spurs Toon Shots 11 2 Passes 249 43 Blocks 2 14 Clearances 2 27 Touches 308 113

From the 62 minute introduction of the dual creators these were the stats. Our Shots were considerably higher and Newcastle’s defensive actions where still high. This showed we were on the front foot and trying to find that one chance to change the course of the game. Our passing and touches were still high enough. What we should have been doing is finding another way through but as the below pass map shows (Cheers Chef). It was all rather sideways and non-threatening.

The strongest lines we see are:

From Sanchez and Toby. Who were playing to both full backs and Winks, Trying to get things moving.

Winks to the wide areas, to his midfielder partner and back to the CB’s. Too much sideways passing. But if the movement ahead is not good enough. He is not fully to blame.

Rose to Son, down that left side. Always looking for him and vice versa. With Rose’s constant running he is always on the overlap while son moves inside.

Looking at the map, main takeaways from this are the lines to the forward players are small in comparison to the ones mentioned above. The average position of Lucas is more central then on the wing. Son is up there with Kane, who himself is deep. All adding to the congested midfield. Our CB’s are pushed high up because Newcastle allowed us to have the ball. Their tactic being to force us to try and play through them. Most of our passes were just recycling the ball in central areas. Due to the impotence of our front 4(5), we could not get in behind or find that killer ball more than a couple of times.

Players

Alderweireld – 5.5m

Here is our central midfie….no wait he is our central defender. Toby had a very good game both defensively in offensively. He was always coming out with the ball and looking for a pass to aa more advanced player. Mostly he ended up passing into Winks, sideways to Sanchez. Or to the flank in KWP. Toby has 103 touches and had a 90% pass accuracy. Aswell as short passing he kept looking long to try and get in behind, and completed 4 out of his 7 attempts.

Winks – 5.5m

Now here is our central midfielder. Winks did his job, which is to recycle possession and get the ball to advanced players. Or players in more attacking positions. He had a 94% pass accuracy and had 146 touches in that midfield, where it seemed everyone was stationed. Killer passes are in his locker and he could have moved further into the Newcastle final third. However, this was not his job in this system. He struggled ultimately due to the lack of movement ahead of him. Harry will keep learning and have much better games against teams that allow us more space.

Lucas – 7.5m

This heatmap just sums up Lucas for me. Positioned off the right with licence to come inside. However over the 90 ends up being a second striker positioned just off where I would want Kane to be. I do not doubt his ability or knack of scoring vital goals. But this system, with these three behind kane, required a little bit more rigidity. Time after time he kept appearing in the box to take away the space for Kane to operate. And then there was that chance. Having only 49 touches in the full 90 minutes and had 4 shots off target. He did complete his 2 dribbles but everything he did seemed to have no end product. He was busy without actually doing anything.

Son – 9.5m

Son for me epitomises a wide player in Poch’s best system. Links well with his left back and plays for most of that match on his flank. Always open to either receive the ball or run into the space. Aswell as his avergae attacking position he had an ok game numbers wise. Which included 82 touches, 2 shots on target and 2 out of 5 dribbles completed. Looking more dangerous than Lucas and drifted as and when he needed to. Interchanging with Kane and Eriksen when he arrived. He drove at the defence which no one else really did all game.

Kane – 11m

Oh Harry, how they will mock and laugh at you for this performance. Especially those who captained you in the Fantasy game we play. Kane had a game to forget. Much like the first half vs Villa he struggled to link up with his teammates and get through a stubborn but organised defence. In his 90 minutes he only had 24 touches, with only 4 in their box. During 90 mins he recorded a 71% pass accuracy with just 10 being that. Had 1 shot off target and completed his only attempted dribble.

Looking at this in more detail than my little rant on Twitter. Dropping deep is something that Kane does, he drops deep normally to get things going. It’s not normally too deep but he does like to get the ball off his attacking midfielders and spray it out to the wings. He is good at this; he has vision and range. This is fine, it’s fine when we have Eriksen, Alli and Son in the team.

With the Trio we played behind him against Newcastle, it is not fine. As I have previously mentioned. The three we played do not have the nous to replace Alli and Eriksen in our best first 11. Lamela and Lucas sometimes slow the play down with an extra touch when not necessary. Another thing that impacted our tempo and passing was when KWP went off. Sissoko as good as he is at running, does not create. His passes are also often shot into players, requiring maybe another touch to control them. These things combined made our passing flat when we needed zip and verve. The aim of which was to move the opposition around with quick passing and switching of play.

How deep is your Kane

But as you can see with the above stats and heatmaps, our passing was limited to CB’s, Winks and Full backs. These things all led to Kane dropping deep, trying to pick up the ball turn and pass into someone, but with attempted pace and purpose. However the impact of this meant Lucas or Son who are not centre forwards taking the vacated position up top. By the time Kane had got back into the box we either could not get the ball into him. Or anything we did get in was defender excellently by Lascalles and co.

This Kane will not last. Well hopefully not. With a returning Dele, Son getting more game time, and hopefully a morale boosting NLD win. I can see Kane raising his game and doing what he does best. It does rely on him and I suppose the team. We need someone in the number 10 role with actual purpose. Whether it’s Eriksen retaining that creative role. Lo Celso taking over that mantle or Dele playing IMO what is his best position just behind Kane. We await to see.

Conclusions.

One thing is for certain, the team and Kane have to play better than this. Three pretty toothless performances so far, even with 5 goals scored. The team needs to be at full strength with Jan and possibly Eriksen in it. Does this show how important Ndombele is to us already. His driving forward with purpose was sorely missed in that stodgy midfield on Sunday. Kane needs to lead from the front and not in midfield. Games need to start fast, as I said in my Pre-season article and take it to the opposition. Spurs cannot keep conceding early goals and then start our games from there.

Bring on Arsenal and Mr London Derby.

COYS