Mauricio Pochettino has trumpeted the impact of his “plan B” at Tottenham Hotspur, which features a rejigged midfield, and warned established names such as Eric Dier that they are not guaranteed starting places. The manager switched from his usual 4-2-3-1 to play 4-1-4-1 before the international break and Spurs enjoyed wins over Middlesbrough, CSKA Moscow and Manchester City.
Pochettino feels that the new system allowed his team to press higher up the pitch, exert more control and create chances, and it worked to particularly eye-catching effect against City. The 2-0 home win moved Tottenham to within one point of City at the top of the Premier League.
He will consider whether to persist with playing only one deeper midfielder – which has been the summer signing Victor Wanyama – at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday. But with Dier fit to start after hamstring trouble, he faces difficult decisions.
Pochettino will relish them. More than ever, with Tottenham having embarked upon a Champions League campaign, he knows that it is a squad game. It was why he signed Wanyama and Moussa Sissoko, who can play on the flank or inside, and he is happy that one of the consequences is the fierce competition for places.
Mousa Dembélé is not expected to be fit for West Bromwich because of a foot injury and has started only one game this season because of suspension and a hamstring problem. It was against Sunderland and on that occasion Pochettino played him in central midfield alongside Wanyama in a 4-2-3-1 – with Dier dropping back to centre-half.
The manager made the point that Dier had always started this season when fully fit and the reason he was used only as a substitute against City was because he was coming back from injury. It will be interesting to see whether Pochettino can find the room for him and Wanyama in midfield at The Hawthorns – and, further down the line, how he shapes the lineup when Dembélé is available. Wanyama has been ever-present in the league and was outstanding against City.
“We’ll see what happens but football is about 25 [players in the squad],” Pochettino said. “Maybe last season there was only Dier [in defensive midfield]. This season we want to improve our squad. It’s not a problem. The players need to feel the competition. There is Wanyama in his position, too. And don’t forget Harry Winks, who is coming and pushing a lot from behind. You have to look forward and carry on working.”
Tottenham enter a period of seven matches in 23 days and Pochettino knows that it will be essential to rotate his personnel and still find the right balance. “When I was at Espanyol and Southampton, and at the beginning here at Tottenham, when we didn’t take a good result, there were some comments that it was because we didn’t have a plan B,” Pochettino said. “Now, we have a plan B. It is important to try to play in different ways in different games – always with the same concept and values but with different positions on the pitch. It is good for us and, sometimes, very complicated for the opponent.”
