Tottenham Season Approaches Pivotal Moment

Part and parcel of managing a top-4 quality side in the English Premier League is receiving inordinate praise or criticism, depending on your recent run of form. As fickle as life in English football can be, a realistic objective might be to collect equal amounts of both. But when your top-4 quality side lies in 7^th position, you will undoubtedly find yourself with greater parts ebb than flow. This is where we find Tottenham Hotspur’s latest culprit, André Villa-Boas.

A visit to the Etihad Stadium is rarely an enjoyable journey for the away team. Under ordinary circumstances, not a lot can be expected from such a fixture. The nouveau riche are the defending champions of the league and have yet to lose a game this campaign. But going into the weekend, the mood was not ordinary. Manchester City’s latest European disappointment which has painted the overriding theme of their early season suggested it was conceivable that Spurs were capable of earning a result. Tottenham’s inexplicable home defeat to lowly Wigan a week prior suggested they may have needed it. Villas-Boas has already proven he is capable of taking points in Manchester.  After victory at Old Trafford, he was characterised as savvy and a manager on the rise. After losing the lead and eventually the match on the light blue side of town last Sunday, he is young and inferior.

It is a testament to the capriciousness of the vaunted British media that just days after publishing an article entitled Roberto Mancini’s three at the back for Manchester City lacks logic, the very same, and even highly-respected publication would criticise Villas-Boas for failing to cope with that same system. “The Portuguese, whose calling card is supposedly modern football thought and slick tactical awareness, was outsmarted by Mancini, who switched to the 3-5-2 system he developed during the summer.” Certainly, a contingent of Tottenham supporters, no more forgiving than the Guardian, will be of similar opinion. For, as far as they can see, Tottenham are losing. This is an injustice which cannot go unnoticed. Someone must be booed!

The Tottenham head coach brings a style which is wholly un-British to the Tottenham bench, in dress, character, and in play. This is a forgivable offense when the team are winning. But on the back of two losses and a 7^th place standing, the admirable enthusiasm on the touchline turns to fidgety antics, the tactical progressiveness turns to youthful inexperience, and even the classy and bespoke deportment turns to juvenile arrogance and haughtiness personified.

As ruthless and variable as the press will always be, there typically is not smoke without fire. Make no mistake, Tottenham have performed poorly in recent weeks and the manager should shoulder his fair share of the blame. His persistence with Brad Friedel is odd when Hugo Lloris, a younger and more talented keeper in need of Premier League experience, remains on the bench. Another American who puzzlingly remains in AVB's starting eleven is Clint Dempsey. Dempsey should be commended for his work rate and positional awareness. These skills have led to two match-deciding goals in recent weeks. But he is limited. For all of his craft, an away match to the league champions may not be the stage for him, and certainly not if he is to occupy one of most important positions in the eleven.

His inclusion, more than Emmanuel Adebayor's, brings about the decision to drop Jermaine Defoe. Fresh off a mid-week European hat-trick, Defoe has, perhaps surpisingly, proven himself to be a vital cog in the AVB-machine. His inclusion in the starting 11 has been automatic since August. A more discerning look might reveal that between the two, Adebayor was the obvious choice in this match, and an attacking midfielder who will defend was just as necessary. Adebayor is a more complete striker and his hold-up play can be the difference in a difficult away match. In fact, it nearly was. Nowhere was his influence more noticeable and impressive than his mazy run in the 24^th minute which ended in a delightful backheel to Tom Huddlestone who unleashed a devastating strike just wide. If Huddlestone scores, a fragile City are faced with a 2 goal deficit, as it were. Defoe, finding himself in a similar position, most probably would have clattered a shot against the shins of Vincent Kompany. Defoe is a fantastic goal-scorer; he is not a hold-up striker. Some might say a two-striker system would have been more useful. That is the case for, say, Wigan or Maribor at home. But it would be foolish in a match such as City away. The decision to drop Defoe was the right one.

As disappointing as it is to lose a lead, there was a feeling of inevitability regarding the outcome. This had much less to do with any perceived tactical astuteness advantage for Mancini, and much more to do with club investment. While Spurs boast an impressive squad, very few in the world can match the quality of Manchester City’s, and even fewer can match their spending power.

If an away loss to one of the world’s richest club’s is excusable, late capitulations at White Hart Lane to West Brom, Norwich, and the aforementioned home defeat at the hands of Wigan are not. AVB and his squad both have weaknesses. While January might offer the chance for player reinforcement, Spurs must be sure to remain within striking distance of the all-important 4^th spot in the table by that time. Compuounding AVB's troubles is the club's injury list. The physio room at the new state-of-the-art training center along Hotspur Way is crowded. Younes Kaboul, Benoit Assout-Ekotto, Scott Parker, and perhaps most importantly, Mousa Dembélé, are sorely missed, and the sooner they return the better.

But all is not lost for Spurs. If there is any consolation to be had from a 7^th place position, it is that bitter rivals Arsenal are one point behind in 8^th, which makes the coming weekend’s North London Derby all the more intriguing. It has been said that championships cannot be won in the first part of season, but they can be lost. The same could go for a 4^th place finish, which will remain a battle just as fiercely fought as the one at the top. Last year’s corresponding fixture was a turning point for both teams. Spurs fans would rather forget it, and they will hope for a much better result this year. If Dembélé is fit, their chances will drastically improve. His unique ability to run at the opposition, whether in possession or defending, makes him an invaluable member of AVB’s squad. His power and pace allow him to occupy the advanced midfielder role taken up lately by Dempsey. Perhaps more usefully, he can lie deeper alongside the stellar Sandro, where the pair would be expected to disrupt Jack Wilshere and Santi Cazorla’s attacking impetus. His presence could even allow Villas-Boas to deploy a two striker system. Here, Adebayor would line up behind Defoe and orchestrate from higher up the pitch, a spot from which Dempsey and Gylfi Sigurðsson have failed to deliver thus far. No matter his position, Spurs are much stronger with Dembélé, and they will hope he is fit enough to feature against Arsenal.

The one certainty going into the match is that on the other side, Villas-Boas and Arsène Wenger will receive a disproportionate amount of praise or blame. For Spurs fans’ part, they must keep their heads. No matter the result, their best response will include supporting for their manager and team. From there, they can hope that chairman Daniel Levy will do the same come January, in the form of player investment.