Top 5 lessons Tottenham learned at Stoke City
STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 10: Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates his goal during the Premier League match between Stoke City and Tottenham Hotspur at Britannia Stadium on September 10, 2016 in Stoke on Trent, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
What did Tottenham really learn by dismantling Stoke?
Tottenham fans are feeling great about their club after Spurs 4-0 domination of Stoke on Saturday. Of course, Mauricio Pochettino and company know the match is only worth three points and whatever lessons they learn about their squad.
That’s what early fixtures are for. They’re about earning points and learning things that will help you as the season progresses. Fortunately for Spurs fans, Pochettino is adept at making subtle adjustments during the marathon o fa Premier League campaign.
You can bet he got a lot of useful information after his team’s excellent attacking performance against the Potters. He may not have learned a ton about his defense given his side’s dominance in possession, but he learned a ton about his attack.
He’ll look to put those lessons into practice immediately. Tottenham begin their Champions League competition with Monaco on Wednesday. Read on to discover the five lessons Tottenham learned at Stoke and can take forward to Champions League competition.
STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 10: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates his goal with Heung-Min Son during the Premier League match between Stoke City and Tottenham Hotspur at Britannia Stadium on September 10, 2016 in Stoke on Trent, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
5. Harry Kane isn’t all the way back
Tottenham’s attack was devastating at Stoke, but the impact came almost exclusively from Pochettino’s attacking midfield. Striker Harry Kane may have scored a goal, but it wasn’t a tour de force from the English talisman.
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Kane still looked off the pace against the Potters. Whether it’s an issue of physical or emotional fatigue, something clearly still isn’t right. The four goal outburst covered his deficiencies, but Spurs need him to be better against Monaco.
I still believe Pochettino will need to give him some rest sooner rather than later. Don’t look for him to sit any Champions League matches, but he may miss a Premier League fixture in the not too distant future.
Fortunately for Tottenham, this season they have a viable substitute for Kane. Vincent Janssen was able to come on in relief and buy him 20 or so odd minutes of rest at Stoke. Maybe that small break can snap Kane back into form.
STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 10: Toby Alderweireld of Tottenham Hotspur kicks the ball while Wifried Bony of Stoke City looks on during the Premier League match between Stoke City and Tottenham Hotspur at Britannia Stadium on September 10, 2016 in Stoke on Trent, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
4. Toby Alderweireld dreams of being a number 10
One of my favorite things about a lopsided Tottenham win, is that we get to see Toby Alderweireld really expand his game. When Spurs get a multi-goal lead, we see the Belgian defender really showcase his ability going forward.
Honestly, if you haven’t noticed it, you really should pay more attention. Alderweireld simply loves to carry the ball forward and try to pierce the opposing defense. You can bet that somewhere deep down, he wants to take Christian Eriksen’s spot in the starting XI.
The good news for Spurs fans is that a-he’s pretty good at it, and b-he knows not to try anything ridiculous in a close match. He’s got a much better feel for when to go on a long, marauding run than say, John Stones did under Roberto Martinez.
Chances are we won’t see Alderweireld doing his Lionel Messi impression against Monaco, but if he does, it likely means Tottenham are enjoying a dominating performance.
STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 10: Joe Allen of Stoke City is fouled by Ben Davies of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Stoke City and Tottenham Hotspur at Britannia Stadium on September 10, 2016 in Stoke on Trent, England. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
3. Ben Davies is still pretty good
Danny Rose is the club’s unquestioned starter at left back, but Saturday we found out that he can afford to miss a match every now and then. Ben Davies put in an excellent performance in relief of the English international.
Davies doesn’t get many opportunities, but we shouldn’t be afraid to throw him into important matches. He may lack Rose’s elite athleticism, but he’s still a very solid defender who has excellent skill on the ball.
To the eye, Davies looked like he had a solid, but not spectacular match at Stoke. The objective measures liked his 90 minutes even more than that. He earned a Whoscored.com player rating score of 8.30 for his efforts. That’s an excellent rating for a player who doesn’t register either a goal or assist.
The lesson here is that having quality backup players is an important luxury that Pochettino has built for Tottenham. Missing out on a player like Danny Rose will always be a blow, but having a competent replacement like Ben Davies provides the club great protection.
STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 10: Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur claps the fans during the Premier League match between Stoke City and Tottenham Hotspur at Britannia Stadium on September 10, 2016 in Stoke on Trent, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
2. Dele Alli is back
While Harry Kane didn’t return to top form, Dele Alli certainly did. He followed up an excellent appearance off the bench for England with a really good 90 minutes for his club.
He registered a solid Whoscored.com player rating of 8.01 and added a tidy goal for his troubles. More importantly, he looked like the energetic attacking midfielder that Spurs fans grew accustomed to last year.
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That’s an important development after Alli’s poor start to the 2016-17 campaign. Previously, he really seemed to be feeling the negative effects of England’s disappointing Euro performance. He shook those cobwebs off entirely at Stoke.
That’s hugely important as Tottenham move on to more difficult opponents. Alli has the unique ability to outmaneuver opponents who try to park the bus against Spurs. His versatility in the midfield will be crucial for Pochettino’s squad during Champions League competition.
STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 10: Heung-Min Son of Tottenham Hotspur claps the fans after the final whistle during the Premier League match between Stoke City and Tottenham Hotspur at Britannia Stadium on September 10, 2016 in Stoke on Trent, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
1. It’s good Spurs didn’t sell Son
Many pundits, me included, wouldn’t have minded seeing Tottenham sell Son Heung-Min this summer. The Korean attacker proved us all wrong with an emphatic performance at Stoke.
If you watched the match, it’s pretty obvious that Son was primed and ready for his opportunity. He got the chance to start the match after staying with the club instead of going to play for South Korean during international break. Well that, and the fact that Erik Lamela returned late from his Argentina obligations.
Getting an opportunity, and taking full advantage of it are two entirely different things. Son did everything he could to make his case for more playing time by contributing two key goals. His excellent performance gives Pochettino an interesting dilemma ahead of the Monaco match.
I suspect he’ll return Son to the bench, but there’s a reasonable argument that can be made to include him in the starting XI once again. He’s certainly the hottest goal scorer the club have at the moment.
The important thing in the long run is that Son has the ability to join in the attacking midfield rotation. That makes the squad look a lot more complete than it did just a week ago.