Tottenham Hotspur will be hoping to bounce back to winning form as they travel to Goodison Park to face Everton on Sunday. It could be a must-win game for Mauricio Pochettino as he looks to save his job after a disappointing start to the game.
Everton is always a tricky opponent to face. But in this article, we will talk about three tactical changes Mauricio Pochettino could make to ensure his side can claim a win this weekend.
No Harry Winks
Harry Winks is certainly one of Tottenham Hotspur’s most talented young players. Since last season, the youngster has enjoyed immense growth under Pochettino. But at the same time, he has shown signs of weaknesses as well, especially against opponents that employ an intense style of play in midfield.
Everton, in particular, are expected to do just that this weekend. They will look to restrict the Tottenham midfielders from getting too much time on the ball, thereby cutting off potential supply lines for the attackers as well as minimising their transition play.
With that in mind, Pochettino should not deploy Winks in midfield as the Englishman could easily get overwhelmed by the Everton pressure. Not to mention, his lack of physicality could be a massive disadvantage for Spurs in the middle third of the pitch.
It might, therefore, be a good idea for Pochettino to deploy Ndombele in a slightly deeper at the expense of Winks. The Frenchman is much more capable of handling the pressure.
Employ a right-sided overload
Everton have had serious problems on their right flank this season. Especially in defence, Seamus Coleman has struggled to be consistent in terms of his performances on the field. The Irishman hasn’t featured in the last two games while new signing Djibril Sidibe has barely played this season, having made his Premier League debut earlier this month.
This contest could serve as an excellent opportunity for Pochettino to employ a left-sided overload. The Argentine could deploy Danny Rose and Son Heung-Min on the left. Both players can provide a lot of problems to either Sidibe or Coleman. And hopefully, the Lilywhites can break into the Everton backline using their weaknesses on the right flank.
A three-man backline
Everton lack a bit of quality on the right flank. But, they are quite lethal on the opposite end, especially with the industrious Lucas Digne leading the charge. The Frenchman is one of Everton’s primary sources of creativity, and Tottenham need to be very careful of his forays down the wide areas. Not to mention, they will also have to deal with another attacker.
Hence, employing a three-man backline might not be a bad idea from Pochettino. It would allow more versatility in defence, and the right-sided centre-back can provide more cover for the right wing-back, who will primarily be in charge of minimising Everton’s influence on the right flank.
A four-man backline, in contrast, shifts the focus into a central position, leaving Spurs quite vulnerable in the wider areas of the pitch.
