Tottenham pose a different threat

Pochettino instilling Plan A, Plan B and Plan C

To evolve as a team you first have to understand one system like the back of your hand, you must know it inside out, know your role in it, know everyone elses role and how it all fits together, You have to know what to do in any given situation and what your teammates will do in any given situation. That all takes tile and practice, on the training field and in game situations.

That means, even in games where some feel a change would be better, you have to stick to your teachings so a side and individual players can learn how they have to cope under stress. Once you have done that you can move on. What you don't do is try and teach two things at once. In effect you have Plan A and ignore Plan B and Plan C until you have fully mastered Plan A.

Having cemented that system in place, this season Mauricio Pochettino has expanded upon that, playing a variety of formations that are played anyway in the basic system that has taught. Moving to a three at the back pushes our full-backs into wing back roles and negates the need for traditional wingers.

Now Tottenham pose a different threat, we can change formations during a game or set ourselves up differently if we are playing against one or two strikers for instance. Pochettino explained the change is system recently on Facebook.

"I think that the answer is to have a Plan B and Plan C in different games. It's important that he squad can surprise the opponent - sometimes you need to be flexible. 

"The players need to know that we can play differently. Football is a game that you need to be flexible in and adapt your characteristics. It's important for our squad profile we can cope with different systems."

This is another reason why we look for intelligent footballers, not footballers who can only play within a set system. Younger, hungry players take that on board where older players are often set in their ways and can't or refuse to adjust.

Sir Alex Ferguson used to do the same thing, he changed systems during a game and sought players who could cope with that, not every player can, Roberto Soldado couldn't, can Vincent Janssen?

The next step is to do it on a regular basis against the top teams and this weekend is an opportunity to really show we are a team to be taken note of.

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