Where should Dembele & Paulinho play?
Tonight the boredom of the UEFA Champions League makes way for a competition where teams continually face new opponents each season instead of the endless repetition the Champions League serves up. As with everything, unless their is variety things become stale and a turn off.
The Champions League is certainly in that category for many, rarely do I bother to watch a game now and haven't seen a moment of any the games this week. The object of the exercise is to make money for the large clubs so it's fulfilling it's sole purpose.
So far we have seen Cypriot, Serbian and now Turkish opponents which is certainly giving out second string new experiences, great for young players like Harry Kane to develop his game.
Besiktas it is tonight, when two players who haven't featured in the competition and unavailable, Danny Rose and Eienne Capoue. While the team now virtually picks itself there are a couple of areas open to debate as ever, Kane or Soldado, Soldado obviously, therefore Paulinho or Kane behind? Kane probably for me, Paulinho is, at the moment, so hopeless I'm beginning to wonder if he has a problem with Pochettino.
Those were Pochettino's words at the press conference so it's up to both to take their chances and put pressure on Adebayor. Steve Archibald tweeted during the last game Soldado played that the team were not passing the ball to him and that he appeared to be the last option for a pass. That sums up his time at Tottenham, an out and out goalscorer who nobody will pass the ball to.
It is incredibly difficult to shine and put pressure on for a first-team place when you are getting no service but that's also the case for Adebayor too, he isn't exactly being presented with glorious chance after glorious chance. We don't have Gareth Bale pinging the ball across the 6-yard box, mind you the only two times I have seen us do that this season Adebayor hasn't been there to get on the end of it.
With only 1 win in 6 matches the second XI need to do their bit to keep up club morale. Kaboul's PR rhetoric means little as the players who played against Arsenal won't be playing against Besiktas.
The second team haven't been great this season thus far, jobs have been done but it has been more hard work than flowing football and being second best to Nottingham Forest reserves was worrying. Can therefore we afford to put out a simple second team against Besiktas?
They may have too much for us if we did so the answer to the midfield needs to be found. It's the midfield who dictate games and the defensive midfield two who have the greatest impact. Benjamin Stambouli, Nabil Bentaleb, Mousa Dembele, Paulinho are the options so it may be a case of Stambouli and Dembele.
So far Lennon, Stambouli, Bentaleb, Townsend is great for developing the three youngsters but it is not going to frighten any opposition. Dembele needs to be accommodated to add some strength and the key to Paulinho needs to be found. He has flopped in the central attacking role so do you maintain him there with Kane on the bench or look to move him back to defensive midfield or to the right or left attacking role?
Do you play Dembele central or use him in a wider role as well or even in the attacking central role, is he not worth a look there. His feints and ability to pass a man or create the room for a snap shot is something we don't see enough of in the final third. Looking good in the middle of the park achieves little, it's the final third where it all counts and there has been little to get excited about thus far.
Whose words were they? Well the first part could have been any Spurs manager but they were from Slaven Bilic, Besiktas manager, after their last Turkish league game, a 1-1 draw.
Two sides that have trouble creating chances suggests a tight game is in store but one where hopefully we will see a little progress of things coming together from Spurs.
The Champions League is certainly in that category for many, rarely do I bother to watch a game now and haven't seen a moment of any the games this week. The object of the exercise is to make money for the large clubs so it's fulfilling it's sole purpose.
So far we have seen Cypriot, Serbian and now Turkish opponents which is certainly giving out second string new experiences, great for young players like Harry Kane to develop his game.
Besiktas it is tonight, when two players who haven't featured in the competition and unavailable, Danny Rose and Eienne Capoue. While the team now virtually picks itself there are a couple of areas open to debate as ever, Kane or Soldado, Soldado obviously, therefore Paulinho or Kane behind? Kane probably for me, Paulinho is, at the moment, so hopeless I'm beginning to wonder if he has a problem with Pochettino.
"Roberto Soldado and Harry Kane play in the same place as Emmanuel Adebayor and have a future at Tottenham."
Those were Pochettino's words at the press conference so it's up to both to take their chances and put pressure on Adebayor. Steve Archibald tweeted during the last game Soldado played that the team were not passing the ball to him and that he appeared to be the last option for a pass. That sums up his time at Tottenham, an out and out goalscorer who nobody will pass the ball to.
It is incredibly difficult to shine and put pressure on for a first-team place when you are getting no service but that's also the case for Adebayor too, he isn't exactly being presented with glorious chance after glorious chance. We don't have Gareth Bale pinging the ball across the 6-yard box, mind you the only two times I have seen us do that this season Adebayor hasn't been there to get on the end of it.
With only 1 win in 6 matches the second XI need to do their bit to keep up club morale. Kaboul's PR rhetoric means little as the players who played against Arsenal won't be playing against Besiktas.
"The most important thing for myself, the players and the staff is that we showed a strength of mentality, we were strong on the pitch.
"We move on. This game is done, now we need to focus on Besiktas on Thursday.
"If we play the same way we did at Arsenal, we should have no problems, but we need to repeat that performance. We have set the tone."
The second team haven't been great this season thus far, jobs have been done but it has been more hard work than flowing football and being second best to Nottingham Forest reserves was worrying. Can therefore we afford to put out a simple second team against Besiktas?
They may have too much for us if we did so the answer to the midfield needs to be found. It's the midfield who dictate games and the defensive midfield two who have the greatest impact. Benjamin Stambouli, Nabil Bentaleb, Mousa Dembele, Paulinho are the options so it may be a case of Stambouli and Dembele.
So far Lennon, Stambouli, Bentaleb, Townsend is great for developing the three youngsters but it is not going to frighten any opposition. Dembele needs to be accommodated to add some strength and the key to Paulinho needs to be found. He has flopped in the central attacking role so do you maintain him there with Kane on the bench or look to move him back to defensive midfield or to the right or left attacking role?
Do you play Dembele central or use him in a wider role as well or even in the attacking central role, is he not worth a look there. His feints and ability to pass a man or create the room for a snap shot is something we don't see enough of in the final third. Looking good in the middle of the park achieves little, it's the final third where it all counts and there has been little to get excited about thus far.
"Honestly, our performance didn't deserve a win as we failed to create sufficient chances, especially in the second half.
"Now, we must focus on our Europa League match against Tottenham. It is not going to be any easier than this one."
Whose words were they? Well the first part could have been any Spurs manager but they were from Slaven Bilic, Besiktas manager, after their last Turkish league game, a 1-1 draw.
Two sides that have trouble creating chances suggests a tight game is in store but one where hopefully we will see a little progress of things coming together from Spurs.
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