Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has one final international break to work with a few of his players before the final run-in appears.
Tottenham‘s chase for Champions League football is still firmly on the cards as the season nears its thrilling conclusion. Ange Postecoglou has impressed in his first year with Spurs, implementing an impressive style of play along with decent results.
However, the campaign is reaching crunch time, one where players have to step up and throw everything at the final goal. Fortunately for the Lilywhites, there’s a two-week break ahead for the international break, allowing for time to dissect recent games and look ahead to the next few.
READ MORE: Are Tottenham still on for the fifth Champions League place?
It may also allow some time for Postecoglou to make some key tweaks on the training ground for those who are still with the squad. With that said, here’s a look at some of the changes that may need addressing.
Ange Postecoglou Tottenham changes
1 – Tottenham set-pieces
Set-pieces have been a major problem for Tottenham in recent weeks, especially when it comes to defending them. According to Opta Analyst, Spurs have given away the fifth-most xG [Expected goals] from set-plays [11.77] in the Premier League this season, while giving away the joint-fifth-most shots against from them too [121].
Rather fortunately, the stats suggest they’ve overperformed defensively from them so far, only conceding nine goals. However, in recent weeks it has cost them points and rather than relying on fortune or some incredible goalkeeping, the Lilywhites will have to do better to stop these chances to begin with.
2 – Wide defending
Another issue for Tottenham has been dealing with space in the wide areas when defending. Due to the roles of Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie, where they are tasked with joining the forward line in attacks, this is space that is naturally vacated.
While that is a natural trade-off to ensure Spurs play the way Postecoglou likes, it does come with its risks. Fulham took advantage of this, continually looking to overload the wide areas before attempting a cross or a high quality cut-back chance.
3 – Midfield resurgence
Following the defeat to Fulham, Postecoglou will be tasked with finding a way to unlock the midfield once again. Pape Matar Sarr [37], James Maddison [40] and Yves Bissouma [46] ranked among the fewest touches in the game, per FBRef.
With the clash against Luton Town coming up after the international break, Tottenham have options to call upon to change the structure. Rodrigo Bentancur, Giovani Lo Celso and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg are options available in the squad.
While all three have rarely been depended on for long periods in the season, the recent struggles of the midfield may give some food for thought.
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