Jose Mourinho will return to Old Trafford as Tottenham Hotspur lock horns with Manchester United tomorrow evening. It is going to be a special game for the ‘Special One’ as he attempts to outclass his former club. And in this article, we will talk about three things he must do if Spurs are to succeed against the Red Devils this week.
Employ a 4-4-2
Mourinho has opted for his preferred 4-2-3-1 setup for the most part, since taking over charge from Mauricio Pochettino last month. And though it has worked, he might want to tweak the formation a little bit and instead go with a 4-4-2, with Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min leading the attack.
The presence of two forwards would add more substance to Tottenham’s first-line of press, which could always be useful as they look to take full advantage of United’s lack of proficiency in the build-up play. Both Kane and Son will look to put pressure on the Man United duo of Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelöf.
Hopefully, they will be able to exert some early pressure and create turnovers in the final third, which will significantly increase their chances of scoring the first goal.
Retain Eric Dier
Mourinho must make sure that Eric Dier retains his place in the starting lineup. The England international has become a key component in midfield under the Portuguese mastermind. His leadership and defensive awareness has provided additional protection for the backline.
And those qualities could once again be useful, especially in dealing with Scott McTominay’s industriousness. Dier’s ability to harrow and hassle the opponent ball-carrier means he could help cripple the influence of the young Scot, who plays a key role in distributing the ball for the Red Devils.
Moreover, his physical and aerial prowess are sure to give Tottenham the advantage in this fascinating fixture, the outcome of which could ultimately depend on the fitness levels of the two teams.
Start Sanchez ahead of Vertonghen
Mourinho could take a gamble by starting Davinson Sanchez ahead of Jan Vertonghen at centre-back, knowing it will be difficult for the ageing Belgian to cope with the threat of the pacy Marcus Rashford.
It is also fair to point out that Vertonghen hasn’t played a lot of football this season and is recently coming back from a muscle injury. Sanchez, to that end, makes much more sense as he can provide the pace as well as the physicality to help Spurs sustain the threat provided by the likes of Rashford and Daniel James.
The Colombian, is, however, guilty of making a few odd defensive errors at the back. But in hindsight, Sanchez looks like a better option than Vertonghen this week.
