Pochettino Selection: Would Dier have prevented the goal?

DIER or WANYAMA?

Before the game I wrote that it would be decided on a counter-attack and the team who dealt with counter-attacks the best would win, that ws Manchester United.



They conceded because Harry Kane gave the ball away in midfield with Danny Rose in an advanced position. Our defensive midfielder should have dropped between Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen allowing Vertonghen to move out to intercept former Tottenham target Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Victor Wanyama had no choice but to go to the man with the ball but bfore he could press the pass was made to Mkhitaryan. Mousa dembele should have sprinted back to drop between the two centre-backs. Jan Vertonghen stood in no-mans land and Mkhitaryan simply ran outside him as the ball was played inside him. He was immediately taken out of the game. He needed to see the runner and, as he was onside go with him. Wanyama should have been left to deal with the man with the ball.

There is a debate raging that Dier dropping back between the two centre-backs would have prevented the goal, but there simply wasn't time for that to happen. Kane should never have made the pass. But then from the free-kick before this Wanyama should never have passed the ball backwards to Jan Vertonghen, who sent it back to Lloris. From there it was chipped to Danny Rose, played into Eriksen who made a short pass to Kane on the halfway line. With nobody right, he looked to pass back to Eriksen who was simply milling about and not really giving him an option, thus the ball went behind him.

The whole goal stemmed from our own free-kick and our passive football. Half way into your own half from your own free-kick and in two passes the ball is at the goalkeepers feet with United pressing and we have put ourselves under needless pressure.

Personally I don't see Dier playing the free-kick that Wanyama does, given he is a far better passer of the ball. Is it time for Dier's more creative play at the base of our attack? Is Wanyama too defensive? Certainly Dier is a far bigger threat from set-pieces and Wanyama has missed two absolute sitters in the last two games.

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