The ESPN FC crew discuss Tottenham's trip to Liverpool. The ESPN FC crew discuss Tottenham's trip to Liverpool. The ESPN FC crew discuss Tottenham's trip to Liverpool.
The timing as Tottenham have a fully fit squad couldn't be better ahead of crucial games against Liverpool, Arsenal and Juventus in the coming weeks. There have been times in recent weeks when the Tottenham bench has had a threadbare feel.
Not that Toby Alderweireld, Danny Rose, Harry Winks or Lucas Moura are likely to feature in Sunday's starting XI for the Premier League clash at Anfield. Despite their FA Cup defeat to West Bromwich Albion last weekend, Liverpool are a class act capable of beating any side on its day. Added to this, Spurs have a terrible history of playing other top six clubs away from home in recent seasons. In 18 attempts, they have recorded just one victory -- against Manchester City two years ago.
Mauricio Pochettino is fully aware of this poor record and is desperate to put it right. So he won't be taking any chances on players who haven't yet proven themselves to be completely match fit. There's a world of difference between being fit and comfortable in training and taking on Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino in a full-blooded contest in front of a crowd of 45,000. Expect Alderweireld, Rose and Winks to start from the bench with the thought of introducing them late on when opponents are tiring. Moura may not even make the bench: having been sidelined for much of the season at Paris Saint-Germain, he's reported to be out of condition.
But it won't be long before these four are pressing for inclusion and then Pochettino will have some tricky choices to make. Not so much for Rose who can be rotated at left-back with Ben Davies, but certainly for the others. It would seem unthinkable for Alderweireld not to be an automatic choice: for most of last season and this one before he got injured against Real Madrid, he has been the pick of the defenders. So that would suggest Spurs changing shape from the back four they have played in his absence, and reverting to a back three of Alderweireld, Davinson Sanchez and Jan Vertonghen, with Rose, Davies, Kieran Trippier and Serge Aurier rotating as wing backs.
Tottenham go into the game on a high after Wednesday's 2-0 win over Manchester United.
This formation, though, has knock on effects elsewhere. Assuming Eric Dier is Pochettino's first choice as defensive midfielder, that leaves no room in the side for Victor Wanyama. And possibly no place either for Mousa Dembele. To lose the Belgian international, who has been back to something near his very best in recent outings against Everton and Manchester United, might seem ridiculous but it's all a question of numbers. You can only start with 11 men and if the manager continues with the attacking quartet of Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Son Heung-Min and Christian Eriksen, then either Dembele goes or Pochettino takes the risk of not playing a defensive midfielder.
What was apparent in the game against Manchester United is that the Spurs attack is more than the sum of its parts. Only Eriksen was really on top form -- Kane, Son and Alli weren't at their sharpest -- but as a unit, their understanding and awareness of each other's positions consistently left the United defenders chasing shadows. If all four stay fit, Moura will struggle to get many appearances in the starting XI.
All of which is a nice problem for Pochettino to have. But it is a problem he needs to solve nonetheless. And there are no easy solutions. Winks and Moura might get a start in what ought to be a more routine game in next Wednesday's fourth round FA Cup replay against Newport County, but to play Alderweireld and Rose as well would almost certainly rule them out for next Saturday's crucial lunch time kick-off against Arsenal. With big games coming up and the race for the last three Champions League places too close to call, there are no easy games in which to ease players back to full fitness. Sooner or later, he is just going to take a gamble.
First, though, comes the Liverpool game. Last season, Spurs had a chastening experience at Anfield. They started as marginal favourites, pressed too hard from the start and were punished by two goals on the break in quick succession.
This year, expect Spurs to play a much cagier game, let Liverpool make most of the running and then hope to expose a suspect defence when the the home team are stretched.
That's easier said than done. But the prize for victory would be a return to the top four for the first time this year.
John Crace is one of ESPN FC's Tottenham bloggers. Follow him on Twitter @JohnJCrace.
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Source: espn.co.uk