Tottenham Hotspur vs. Valencia: 6 Questions That Need Answering

It's here, it's finally here—the final preseason friendly of the summer for Tottenham Hotspur.

And with it, the final chance for a handful of players to prove themselves to new manager Andre Villas-Boas.

Tottenham will travel to Valencia on Thursday where they will face the La Liga and Champions League side.

In my opinion, this is the second real test for Spurs. Besides Liverpool, the only first-tier sides the club has faced are from MLS. No offense to MLS, but no team is quite up to par with the top teams of Europe, of which Tottenham, Liverpool and Valencia certainly are.

For all the right Villa-Boas has done this summer for his new Spurs club—unbeaten in five preseason matches, securing Gylfi Sigurdsson and Jan Vertonghen—there's still a number of questions that need to be answered as Tottenham closes out its preseason.

What are they?

Join me as I present the six questions every Spurs fan in North London wants answered this Thursday night against Valencia.

Can Defoe Be Spurs' Starter at Striker?

To put it mildly, it's been a tough summer for Tottenham's forwards as they've only scored one goal in five matches so far.

Jermain Defoe finally put Spurs' strikers on the board with a second-half score against Watford on Sunday.

Can he do the same against Valencia? Perhaps even (gasp!) two scores? It would certainly go a long ways towards helping North London fans feel confident going into the season next week against Newcastle United.

...or Does Villas-Boas Need an Emergency Fix?

ESPN reported last month an agreement had been reached with Emmanuel Adebayor, and the forward's transfer saga out of Manchester City has been anything but pretty. 

The Daily Mail has reported for months that Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge is on Tottenham's wish list.

Goal.com is reporting they're making a £15 million "emergency" bid for Brazilian forward Leandro Damiao.

Villas-Boas hasn't even tried to keep his desire for a new forward in the dark. He's come out, guns blazing, wielding a war chest given to him by Spurs Chairman Daniel Levy and trying to find the best deal for his new club.

All indications point to Tottenham having a new forward by August 18th when Spurs travel to Newcastle United. How much will Villas-Boas have to pay for that forward? Will they have to get more than one? Jermain Defoe will answer those questions against Valencia on Thursday.

Is Bale Moving to Forward?

Gareth Bale got a monster contract extension this summer based off of his nine goals and 10 assists last season.

But so far this preseason, whether it's due to a lack of depth at striker or new tactics from new manager Andre Villas-Boas, Bale has seen more time at forward than at his normal position of winger. In fact, he's started every preseason match as striker and only roamed back to midfield when it was tactically sound to do so.

Is this a new set of tactics being instituted by Villas-Boas, or is Bale up at front due to the fact that Tottenham is scraping the bottom of the barrel forward-wise?

If the Welsh winger starts at forward again at Valencia, it might be the former.

...or Can Dos Santos Help After Olympics?

There was no situation more intriguing last season than that of Harry Redknapp's utter refusal to play Giovanni Dos Santos.

Zero starts, seven appearances off the bench—hardly what you'd think would be deserving for one of Mexico's up-and-coming talents.

But Redknapp stuck to his guns and rarely played Dos Santos.

The poor form of Tottenham's strikers is an intriguing one because it might be the drought that causes Villas-Boas to finally look the Mexican international's way.

Dos Santos and his two goals are a big reason why Mexico is in the Olympic finals this summer. If he gets a score in the final against Brazil, he could figure very heavily into Spurs' plans moving forward.

What Formation Will Spurs Play This Season?

Tottenham has had five preseason friendlies with Villas-Boas at the helm, and there's been a shuffling back and forth of sorts with different formations and tactics.

During the first match against Stevenage, the 34-year-old went with the standard bread and butter of world football: 4-4-2.

One week later against the LA Galaxy, Villas-Boas must have given midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson a little more freedom pre-match because the newest member of Spurs' squad was floating between midfield and forward, switching between the 4-4-2 and the 4-3-3.

Against Liverpool? Tottenham went back to the 4-3-3 with Gareth Bale the third striker.

The NY Red Bulls? Spurs were in a 4-4-2 with Jermain Defoe back home because of a family emergency.

Their most recent friendly against Watford? A 3-4-3 with Benoit Assou-Ekotto in at midfielder.

What formation will Villas-Boas line up in on Thursday against Valencia, and what formation will Spurs be set in against Newcastle United next week?

Can Tottenham Start Scoring Streak Against Rusty Valencia?

Valencia hasn't played a friendly yet this summer, opting for a light preseason rolling into their La Liga opener against Real Madrid on Sunday, August 19th.

Can Tottenham—especially lone striker Jermain Defoe—cap off their summer tour with a goal or two from forwards? Or will Valencia be Spurs' fourth opponent this preseason where strikers don't score a goal?

The former could mean a boost of confidence going into Tottenham's opener against Newcastle next week. The latter could mean overpaying for a desperately needed forward.