3 Biggest Positives for Tottenham's 2015/16 Season so Far
Positive is not an adjective you would readily look to associate with Tottenham Hotspur after their tepid effort in Thursday's loss to Anderlecht.
Poor as that Europa League performance was, there are still reasons to be optimistic about where Mauricio Pochettino's team are at. Or, as emphasised in a couple of the following three biggest positives from the 2015-16 season so far, where they are going.
Continued Belief in Youth and Academy Talent
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Josh Onomah's 80th-minute introduction against Anderlecht said as much about Tottenham's current injury issues as it did Pochettino's trust in youth. With senior players Nacer Chadli and Heung-Min Son among the unavailable, the confident 18-year-old was the only remaining attacking option still on the bench by that point.
Still, the Spurs boss continuing to believe in young players—sourced from the club's academy or otherwise—has been good to see.
Onomah himself might not have made his second first-team appearance had others not been injured. But that he was called on speaks of a trust in his talent and where he stands development-wise. He responded well in Belgium, too—his fleeting opportunities on the ball had more purpose about them than most of what had been offered by his older team-mates in the preceding half.
Along with fellow Europa League substitute Harry Winks, Onomah will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of those to blaze a trail from academy to first team in recent years. For those players, however, there have been mixed starts to the season.
Ryan Mason began well before getting injured in the process of scoring Spurs' winner versus Sunderland. Tom Carroll has been unlucky not to get the opportunity to follow up on on a strong showing versus Arsenal in the Capital One Cup.
Nabil Bentaleb, Harry Kane and Andros Townsend have not yet come close to matching their 2014-15 peaks. But that there has been disappointment in their underwhelming play says plenty about the expectations they have raised by becoming regular contributors and internationals.
Most encouragingly for Spurs this season in regards to youth has been the strong form of their outside, relatively cheap recruits.
Former League One man Dele Alli has adjusted extremely well to top-division football, catching the eye of England boss Roy Hodgson in the process. His one-time England Under-21 international team-mate Eric Dier may not be far behind if he continues his solid displays moved up from defence to central midfield. Left-back Ben Davies has also performed steadily in his ongoing battle for minutes with Danny Rose.
More Examples of What Pochettino's Spurs are Capable Of
The excitement over youth revolves around the hope these talented, open-minded players are best suited to furthering Pochettino's footballing vision. That, with the help of more experienced players like captain Hugo Lloris, they can deliver the daring and relentless style the Argentinian aspires to.
It was seen at points last season, notably around the big derby wins over Chelsea and Arsenal when Tottenham came from behind to win. And in their run to the Capital One Cup final, a 4-0 thrashing of Newcastle United along the way was another highlight.
So far, this time around, it is too early to tell whether Spurs have progressed. Having drawn their last two Premier League games and played so dismally in Europe this week, you may think not.
More optimistically, the better results and performances this season do show promise that this side is capable of implementing Pochettino's key tenets.
Sunderland and Qarabag were eventually seen off by quick, attack-minded passing and perceptive movement. Against Crystal Palace and particularly Manchester City, Spurs went toe-to-toe with their opponents, working hard to shut them down all over the pitch.
Despite failing to beat Arsenal in the Capital One Cup and Liverpool in the league, Spurs had the better of those games. It said something about where the team at least thinks they should be at that the overriding feeling was one of frustration.
"We created more clear chances to score and if one team deserved to win in the end it was us," Pochettino told his club's official website after the 0-0 draw with Liverpool.
Defensive Improvements
It did not feel like it given how Tottenham feebly stood off and allowed Anderlecht to come back from a goal down in Europe, but the club's defence has improved. Further, genuine progression from the team under Pochettino is going to be required for the good level to be maintained as the schedule intensifies in the coming months.
Collectively and in its component parts, the back four has indeed mostly done well since an iffy start.
The centre-back partnership of Jan Vertonghen and new signing, fellow Belgium international Toby Alderweireld, has come together slowly but surely. Vertonghen in particular is playing with as much motivation as he has at any point in his Spurs career.
Davies and Rose's competition for the left-back spot has resulted in largely good work from both out wide (though the latter may now be moving back ahead in the pecking order). Kyle Walker has begun the season in steady enough fashion and appears to be developing a good understanding to the right of Alderweireld.
Recently recruited right-back Kieran Trippier has been more hit-and-miss (he was notably ball-watching in the build-up to Stefano Okaka's winner for Anderlecht), while it is too early to tell with centre-back signing Kevin Wimmer given his limited playing time. Pochettino will need them to ensure Spurs doing without one of their first-choice defenders does not upset the back four's balance in the Premier League.
A couple of decent months does not make a great defence. But after so many problems getting an established quartet focused and in shape last season, things have started better early in 2015-16.
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