Ange Postecoglou has certainly enjoyed his early life as Tottenham Hotspur manager, but the Australian hopes to be able to get his best XI on the pitch more consistently in the second half of the campaign.
Injuries and suspensions have sometimes made it difficult for Spurs to maintain the high standards they set themselves in the early months of the season. But there is still hope around the corner as January brings the return of key players and the chance to sign new ones in the transfer window.
So we decided to take a look at what Tottenham’s strongest starting eleven could look like, once players return from injury and assuming at least one signing comes through the north London doors next month.
Italian goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water and made a big impression after moving from Empoli in the summer, will start in goal. Nicknamed “Jed” by his former teammates for his preternatural reflexes and intensity on the pitch, Spurs are probably happy to have found a long-term successor to Hugo Lloris right away.
Pedro Porro was signed as a right wing-back in Antonio Conte’s 3-5-2 system, so the summer switch to a 4-3-3 under Postecoglou has raised questions about how the Spaniard will fit in. But the 24-year-old has done brilliantly after becoming a converted full-back this season, and has become a mainstay in the Premier League.
At central defender, the partnership of Christian Romero and Micky van de Ven is the strongest Spurs currently have. They started the season perfectly side by side, but then parted ways in November due to Romero’s suspension and Van de Ven’s injury.
Destiny Udogie completes the back line and the young Italian is another player signed under Conte who has done well under Postecoglou this season. The 20-year-old has taken over at left-back in north London this season, and his absence was felt when the defender missed games due to suspension.
The midfield pairing of Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur is the strongest option for the Spurs, with the latter hoping to play in the team again after suffering torn ankle ligaments in November’s defeat to Aston Villa. Bissouma, on the other hand, is in the squad despite spending most of January with Mali at the African Cup of Nations.
The three more advanced central midfielders are Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison and Son Heung-min, the latter of whom will again play in a wider position to adapt to the new central striker playing in front of him. This trio is more than good enough to score goals on their own and create goals for other players, and Maddison is a key member of this attacking unit when he returns from injury.
In a dream scenario, Brentford’s Ivan Toney will play up front and could be a great reinforcement for Spurs if they somehow manage to bring an England international to North London in the January window.
The club will face competition from London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea, but any compensation for the 27-year-old could be priceless if he helps Spurs to a trophy.