Thursday is causing team selection problems
We can now all look forward to Thursday and the UEFA Europa League and while some see it as a distraction surely at the moment with our squad it's rather essential. Players need to play and we have quite a few who need a weekly game.
Take a look at our fixture list between now and the end of the year.
Sunday 21st - Premier League - WBA 1.30pm (h)
Wednesday 24th - Capital One Cup Round 3 - Nottingham Forest 7.45pm (h)
Saturday 27th - Premier League - Arsenal 5.30pm (a)
Sunday 5th - Premier League - Southampton - 2.05pm (h)
Monday 6th - Tursday 14th - International Break
Saturday 18th - Premier League - Manchester City 12.45pm (a)
Thursday 23rd - Europa League - Asteras Tripolis 8.05pm (h)
Sunday 26th - Premier League - Newcastle United 1.30pm (h)
w/c Monday 27th - Capital One Cup week - Round 4
Thursday 6th - Europa League - Asteras Tripolis 6pm (a)
Sunday 9th - Premier League - Stoke City 1.30pm (h)
Monday 10th - Tuesday 18th - International Break
Sunday 23rd - Premier League - Hull City 4pm (a)
Thursday 27th - Europa League - Partizan Belgrade 8.05pm (h)
Sunday 30th - Premier League - Everton 4pm (h)
Saturday 6th - Premier League - Crystal Palace 3pm (h)
Thursday 11th - Europa League - Besiktas 6pm (a)
Saturday 13th - Premier League - Swansea City 3pm (a) - not officially moved to Sunday yet
Saturday 20th - Premier League - Burnley 3pm (h)
Friday 26th - Premier League - Leicester City 3pm (a)
Sunday 28th - Premier League - Manchester United 3pm (h)
That's a total of 23 matches this year of which 15 are Premier League games and 6 of those are in December, with just 3 in October. There are also 2 further international breaks.
The shadow squad looked lost in Cyprus playing against AEL Limassol and had to be rescued by Erik Lamela. They need games are therefore they need to be playing together each week, there are 8 potential games with 2 international breaks where many will be playing as well. I know in the past it hasn't really worked playing a total second team but in the Group stages, in games we should win, having faith and sticking with them should be OK. They are a better second team than we have had in the past probably.
Thursday has become essential to give players games, but it has also caused a problem. How do you transfer a player from one squad to the other. If they play a full game on Thursday they are not at optimum fitness for Sunday and we have seen how that affects results.
Players like Federico Fazio will surely have to come into the Premier League central defence, it's still the weakest area of the team at the moment, which cost us points again at the weekend. The free-kick, which Capoue should never have given away in the first place, should then have been cleared by Kaboul or Chiriches but one watched it and the other had let his man get goal side of him. Fazio and Vertonghen are desperately needed as the central defensive pairing leaving Kaboul and Chiriches free for the Europa League.
If you introduce Fazio Thursday though, can you give him a full game, do you play him Thursday and Sunday or do you retain Kaboul and simply delay the problem, which should never be an option.
And what about Stambouli. Has he been bought as a first choice defensive midfield or a squad player to add to our depth in that area. Mousa Dembele surely cemented his place and Capoue, despite his two small mistakes in both goals, looks booked in the other spot at the moment.
Presumably Stambouli will be given a run out alongside Nabil Bentaleb, who returned from international duty late on Thursday. The front four are understudies at the moment, although Roberto Soldado would take over from Harry Kane is he were fit, which in itself causes another problem.
Does Harry Kane then replace Paulinho. Kane has scored goals and created goals so far. He needs to be developed and the Europa League provides an ideal vehicle for him to play, I'd suggest he has to be in the team for that reason.
What then happens to Paulinho, defensive midfield, but at the expense of who. Bentaleb like Kane has to be developed so he has to either play in these games or the Premier League and after Dembele's performance it will surely be a spell on the sidelines, unless he takes Capoue's place and that may be earmarked for Stambouli.
There is certainly plenty for Pochettino to ponder.
Take a look at our fixture list between now and the end of the year.
Tottenham Fixtures - September
Thursday 18th - Europa League - Partizan Belgrade (Serbia) 6pm (a)Sunday 21st - Premier League - WBA 1.30pm (h)
Wednesday 24th - Capital One Cup Round 3 - Nottingham Forest 7.45pm (h)
Saturday 27th - Premier League - Arsenal 5.30pm (a)
Tottenham Fixtures - October
Thursday 2nd - Europa League - Besiktas 8.05pm (h)Sunday 5th - Premier League - Southampton - 2.05pm (h)
Monday 6th - Tursday 14th - International Break
Saturday 18th - Premier League - Manchester City 12.45pm (a)
Thursday 23rd - Europa League - Asteras Tripolis 8.05pm (h)
Sunday 26th - Premier League - Newcastle United 1.30pm (h)
w/c Monday 27th - Capital One Cup week - Round 4
Tottenham Fixtures - November
Sunday 2nd - Premier League - Aston Villa 4pm (a)Thursday 6th - Europa League - Asteras Tripolis 6pm (a)
Sunday 9th - Premier League - Stoke City 1.30pm (h)
Monday 10th - Tuesday 18th - International Break
Sunday 23rd - Premier League - Hull City 4pm (a)
Thursday 27th - Europa League - Partizan Belgrade 8.05pm (h)
Sunday 30th - Premier League - Everton 4pm (h)
Tottenham Fixtures - December
Wednesday 3rd - Premier League - Chelsea 7.45pm (a)Saturday 6th - Premier League - Crystal Palace 3pm (h)
Thursday 11th - Europa League - Besiktas 6pm (a)
Saturday 13th - Premier League - Swansea City 3pm (a) - not officially moved to Sunday yet
Saturday 20th - Premier League - Burnley 3pm (h)
Friday 26th - Premier League - Leicester City 3pm (a)
Sunday 28th - Premier League - Manchester United 3pm (h)
That's a total of 23 matches this year of which 15 are Premier League games and 6 of those are in December, with just 3 in October. There are also 2 further international breaks.
The shadow squad looked lost in Cyprus playing against AEL Limassol and had to be rescued by Erik Lamela. They need games are therefore they need to be playing together each week, there are 8 potential games with 2 international breaks where many will be playing as well. I know in the past it hasn't really worked playing a total second team but in the Group stages, in games we should win, having faith and sticking with them should be OK. They are a better second team than we have had in the past probably.
Thursday has become essential to give players games, but it has also caused a problem. How do you transfer a player from one squad to the other. If they play a full game on Thursday they are not at optimum fitness for Sunday and we have seen how that affects results.
Players like Federico Fazio will surely have to come into the Premier League central defence, it's still the weakest area of the team at the moment, which cost us points again at the weekend. The free-kick, which Capoue should never have given away in the first place, should then have been cleared by Kaboul or Chiriches but one watched it and the other had let his man get goal side of him. Fazio and Vertonghen are desperately needed as the central defensive pairing leaving Kaboul and Chiriches free for the Europa League.
If you introduce Fazio Thursday though, can you give him a full game, do you play him Thursday and Sunday or do you retain Kaboul and simply delay the problem, which should never be an option.
And what about Stambouli. Has he been bought as a first choice defensive midfield or a squad player to add to our depth in that area. Mousa Dembele surely cemented his place and Capoue, despite his two small mistakes in both goals, looks booked in the other spot at the moment.
Presumably Stambouli will be given a run out alongside Nabil Bentaleb, who returned from international duty late on Thursday. The front four are understudies at the moment, although Roberto Soldado would take over from Harry Kane is he were fit, which in itself causes another problem.
Does Harry Kane then replace Paulinho. Kane has scored goals and created goals so far. He needs to be developed and the Europa League provides an ideal vehicle for him to play, I'd suggest he has to be in the team for that reason.
What then happens to Paulinho, defensive midfield, but at the expense of who. Bentaleb like Kane has to be developed so he has to either play in these games or the Premier League and after Dembele's performance it will surely be a spell on the sidelines, unless he takes Capoue's place and that may be earmarked for Stambouli.
There is certainly plenty for Pochettino to ponder.
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