Tottenham Hotspur: Solving Midfield Dilemmas Crucial for AVB

Tottenham Hotspur's problems in attack have been well-documented in recent weeks, and after a 6-0 defeat at Manchester City on Sunday, their defence has come in for some criticism too.

The goalscoring problem is now undeniable, with only the league's bottom two teams having scored fewer times than Spurs this season, and there are plenty of theories doing the rounds as to what the reason behind it is.

And Gary Neville was scathing in giving his views about Tottenham's defensive display at The Etihad, saying on Sky Sports that most of the defenders were not even ready for kick-off.

He added, "Tottenham's full-backs [Kyle Walker and Jan Vertonghen] were also too high considering they were playing with Michael Dawson and Younes Kaboul, who you wouldn't want to leave one-on-one."

But for all the talk of attack and defence, is the root of the problem not in midfield?

In Paulinho and Sandro, Tottenham have two of the best ball-winners in the country, and the possession stats for many of this season's matches back this up.

After around 15 minutes of Sunday's match, despite being a goal behind, Spurs had enjoyed almost double the amount of possession that their hosts had.

Over the course of the match, it was more than 53 percent even though Spurs were being outclassed in all other areas of the game. While in the previous match against Newcastle, Tottenham had 65 percent of the ball but still managed to lose.

It has been a similar trend for much of the season, and this seems to suggest that for all their tough-tackling, the Brazilian duo do not have possess other qualities in such abundance.

Is there room for two players who have only two assists between them in the Premier League this season, and whose inability to pick a pass has been exposed in recent weeks with the lack of clear-cut chances created?

And at the other end of the scale, do Tottenham's two creative and diminutive midfielders, Lewis Holtby and Christian Eriksen, lack the dynamism and presence to have an impact.

Holtby was hauled off at half-time on Sunday, and Eriksen has faded since his impressive debut against Norwich City in September, leading to further criticism from Neville.

The former Manchester United right-back said on Sky Sports of the Danish international, "You've got to ask questions why none of the top European clubs have picked him up over the past few seasons."

Is it time for a change in personnel in the midfield or in the system that many fans feel has hindered the progress of new striker Roberto Soldado?

And does Etienne Capoue, the most likely man to come into the side, possess the guile and creativity to inspire that change? Should Moussa Dembele return to the starting line-up to bring more drive and initiative in possession?

They are all questions Andre Villas-Boas must be milling over as he prepares for a clash with Manchester United this weekend, which could prove crucial to his future as manager, with the Guardian's David Hynter reporting that his status as Tottenham's manager is in doubt.

Jamie Carragher, also speaking on Sky Sports, suggested something had gone wrong with Spurs' passing game under Andre Villas-Boas. He stated:

"

Towards the end of my career, going to White Hart Lane became my toughest away game because they moved it like you were in a pinball machine and at that speed you couldn't organise things defensively — but that pace isn't there now.

"

Whatever the problem—and solution—might be, Villas-Boas needs to find it fast.