Partizan vs. Tottenham Hotspur: Stalemate Exposes Key Squad Limitations

Tottenham's 0-0 draw with Partizan Belgrade is a solid start to the Europa League group stage but it demonstrates key weaknesses in a squad that supposedly harbours ambitions of winning the tournament. 

Mauricio Pochettino made 10 changes to his team for the trip to Belgrade. Goalkeeper and newly appointed vice-captain Hugo Lloris was the only player to retain his place from the 2-2 draw with Sunderland while summer signings Federico Fazio and Benjamin Stambouli made their first starts for the club. 

Both on and off the field, this was an unfamiliar scenario for Spurs. The pitch was in a poor state and far from ideal when trying to apply Pochettino's quick ball movement. The Partizan fans also created a hostile atmosphere unlike anything Tottenham's players experience in England.

In light of the squad overhaul and the nature of the opposition, a scoreless draw is an acceptable result. There is no embarrassment in failing to beat Partizan in Belgrade. They currently sit top of the Serbian SuperLiga and tonight's draw brought to an end a run of seven successive victories for the hosts. 

However, it was the nature of the performance that provokes questions about Spurs' apparent strength in depth. 

With Sunday's match against West Brom in mind, Pochettino left a number of first-choice players in London.

Pochettino's refusal to subject his key players to 90 minutes of Europa League football at Partizan's JNA Stadium was intelligent management. Erik Lamela, a late substitute and Lloris were the only starters risked in Belgrade. Most were left behind. 

Spurs have suffered from European hangovers many times in recent seasons so Pochettino's decision appears to be a smart one, but it exposed inherent weakness in his squad.

Tottenham dominated possession and were rarely threatened but failed to produce any notable attacking chances. Harry Kane, starting as a lone striker, squandered the two best chances in the first half and struggled to impose himself on the match. He has made a solid start to the season under Pochettino but wasted a rare opportunity as a starting centre-forward against Partizan.

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Kane was isolated and largely uninvolved as his Spurs' attacking line failed to penetrate Partizan's defence. Aaron Lennon offered so little ambition in possession that Spurs quickly abandoned his flank as an attacking outlet. Andros Townsend did at least appear threatening and was able to take the ball past opposition defenders on occasion. He had a poor game but was arguably Spurs' most effective attacker.

In the middle, the combination of Paulinho and Stambouli was solid but uninventive. Paulinho showed his typical handful of nice touches but will never be the player to dominate a game. He is a willing runner with skill and good attacking instincts but lacks vision and patience. 

Stambouli made an impressive full debut but, like Paulinho, is a support player and not the main man. Both Stambouli and Paulinho showed their value and will rival Etienne Capoue for a starting role. 

Without the intelligence of Christian Eriksen, Spurs lacked invention. The poor performances of Spurs' wingers and the selection of the defensive Ben Davies and Kyle Naughton at full-back meant they lacked  dynamism. 

Nabil Bentaleb needed to be the man to step up in Serbia but he failed to deliver. He may be just 19, but Bentaleb is now a senior member of Tottenham's squad and, with his skills, needs to take hold of a game like this. He showed neat touches and was smart with possession but he failed to move the ball quickly and failed to get forward even as Partizan fell ever deeper. 

It is in midfield that Spurs appear to have the most strength but while there is an abundance of water-carriers, there is a shortage of creativity. Without Eriksen, Spurs are solid in possession but unlikely to unlock a solid defensive unit. Mousa Dembele is the only other member of the squad capable of driving Spurs' attack and he is yet to demonstrate that he is fully recovered from his persistent hip injury. 

Spurs' central defenders are more than adequate. Fazio and Jan Vertonghen were solid in Serbia while none of Younes Kaboul, Eric Dier and Vlad Chiriches are significant weak points. 

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Neither Ben Davies nor Kyle Naughton played well against Partizan. Naughton gave his usual poor performance while Davies performed well below expectations. 

Returning to the Champions League has been Spurs' ultimate goal since making their bow in that competition in 2010. That remains the case this season and, with the Europa League now offering an alternate avenue, squad strength is more important than ever. 

The fact that Pochettino can bring seven full internationals into his lineup for a midweek fixture speaks to the strength in depth that Spurs do possess. The problem lies in key positions. Tottenham do not possess adequate depth at centre-forward or in the creative role usually occupied by Christian Eriksen. In the absence of Kyle Walker, Spurs also look weak at full-back. 

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If Spurs are to make a deep run in Europe or a sustained push for the top four in England, they must avoid injuries in those key positions. Well stocked at centre-back and central midfield, Pochettino can rotate freely to avoid the otherwise inevitable burnout caused by his high-energy style of play. 

Even in Serbia, Lamela and Soldado were risked to try to snatch a result. 

It is no surprise that Spurs' quality of play fell in the absence of many of their star players. The revelation of the stalemate in Serbia was that, in order to compete in both England and Europe, he must risk his key players.