Tottenham Hotspur vs. Burnley: Issues and Decisions That Will Shape EPL Game
Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley shared 11 goals in two games the last time the Clarets were in the Premier League in 2009-10.
They each won their home game in a season of contrasting fortunes—Tottenham secured Champions League football, Burnley were relegated. A win for either on Saturday would certainly aid the fulfilment of similarly related objectives this time around.
Here are the key issues and decisions set to shape Saturday’s clash at White Hart Lane.
From Bony to Ings
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Newcastle United did not end up posing a particularly focused attacking threat to Tottenham in Wednesday’s Capital One Cup quarter-final.
Moussa Sissoko and substitute Adam Armstrong pushed the home side’s defence back from midfield, fizzing in tricky long shots for Michel Vorm to deal with. Emmanuel Riviere and Ayoze Perez were lively at times. Mostly, though, the Magpies only sporadically got beyond their cockerel-chested opponents in their 4-0 defeat.
It was in sharp contrast to the near-constant hounding centre-back pair Federico Fazio and Jan Vertonghen faced from Swansea City’s Wilfried Bony the previous weekend. The Ivorian did not go unnoticed by them, but he was allowed a little too much space to operate in. Fortunately for Spurs, Christian Eriksen scored the deciding goal after Bony had equalised earlier in the second half.
If Mauricio Pochettino’s defence is not careful, Burnley striker Danny Ings could prove a similar nuisance.
He is similar to Spurs’ own Harry Kane in the confident fashion in which he runs at defenders. As his four goals since late October show, he knows how to find the back of the net too.
Additionally seen in last week’s win over Southampton was Ings’ work ethic, best typified by the way the front man closed the Saints back line down as often as he could. It paid off when he forced right-back Nathaniel Clyne into losing the ball, and it fell kindly for Ashley Barnes who gave Sean Dyche’s side the lead.
Spurs will attempt to ensure Ings, away from home, does not get the opportunity to cause Bony-like havoc. If nothing else, they must be ready for him.
Learning How to Park a Bus/Move a Parked Bus
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Earlier in December, Crystal Palace were the latest side to park the bus at White Hart Lane. Given the frequency with which away sides do it on N17 turf these days, they now certainly know how Jose Mourinho felt when he coined the phrase after drawing with Jacques Santini’s similarly stubborn Spurs in 2004.
Of course, it is not just as simple as a team turning up and placing the majority of their men behind the ball. Palace were highly disciplined individually and well organised in defence and midfield units, collectively narrowing the gaps Spurs sought to infiltrate. When the ball breached these lines, the likes of Scott Dann and Brede Hangeland were on call to offer a solution.
Dyche could set his side up to do similar against Pochettino’s attack-minded men. Should he do so, he must also strive to replicate the other aspect of Palace’s recent rearguard rigidity at the Lane—position advanced outlets capable of relieving his pressurised defenders.
Burnley does not possess anyone as skillful as Yannick Bolasie or as quick as Wilfried Zaha. Their own wide-man George Boyd is not short of a few tricks up his sleeve, though, while Michael Kightly’s adventurous instincts could prove useful. The aforementioned Barnes and Ings are capable of keeping hold of the ball for spells too.
Should Burnley adopt such a defensive approach, Spurs will again be tasked with finding a way through.
Pochettino’s decision to return Eriksen to a more central position against Newcastle paid off in a more supple Spurs attack than had been seen in the previous three games. The Dane’s prompt identification of fragile pockets in the (admittedly more adventurous) north-east club’s own lines allowed the home side to cut them apart repeatedly. The excellent movement of Nacer Chadli, Kane and Andros Townsend, among others, further exacerbated the wounds.
Repeating all of this will be informed by the demands of the holiday season.
Continuing to Balance Resources over Christmas
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Managing a football team during the current period is similar to planning visits and hosting duties to/for extended family during Christmas (or other celebratory events).
Okay, it’s not like you can rest one of your group to visit Uncle Nigel and Aunt Betty so they are ready when Gran comes to tea. But the associated preparation and understanding of the situation you are heading into will sound familiar to anyone managing in England over this time.
The need for teams to balance their resources has been noted for games already this month. With a particularly hectic fortnight to come, it remains a big issue.
Tottenham’s cup exploits in the Europa League and Capital One Cup have tested their resources more than most. They have not lacked for stamina in games of late, but the frequency of football could take its toll if they are not careful. Especially given the intensity on and off the ball Pochettino asks of his team.
The Argentinian has shown he is not averse to rotating his squad. Even so, he has some interesting decisions to make off the back of the Newcastle win.
Ben Davies and Kyle Walker are likely to come back in at left- and-right-back respectively (though Danny Rose and Vlad Chiriches’ solid work on Wednesday will have done their cause no harm). Hugo Lloris will be back for Vorm in goal, while centre-backs Fazio and Vertonghen are likely to be retained in service of consistency.
However, who Pochettino fields around the likely central figures of Kane and Eriksen is uncertain. He could reward Chadli and Townsend's good work versus Newcastle or go for fresher legs in the form of Erik Lamela and/or Aaron Lennon. The possibility of a return to a front two should not be entirely ruled out either.
There was encouraging work from Mousa Dembele in midfield off the bench in midweek too, while Benjamin Stambouli further staked his case for more playing time. Dropping either of Nabil Bentaleb or Ryan Mason is not a decision Pochettino will take lightly given their recent efforts. One of them might be better suited playing with a more sturdier presence besides them.
Burnley have had less football to play and, if possible, Dyche may be keen to keep with the team which beat Southampton. Team news had not been confirmed at the time of writing, but both PremierInjuries.com and PhysioRoom.com reported full-back Ben Mee had been suffering from illness.
