Even after those 17 minutes of madness last week, Tottenham Hotspur’s hopes of advancing to the Champions League cannot be ruled out, despite Igor Tudor’s men needing a miracle on Wednesday night against Atletico Madrid.
Dominic Solanke’s second-half goal kept the tie alive in the second leg at 17, and Spurs stopped the rot with a draw at Anfield at the weekend.
The Lilywhites also, it must be said, have an example of pulling a rabbit out of a hat, which they are happy to remember. that night at Ajax in 2019, as Lucas Moura scored a hat-trick to beat Mauricio Pochettino and reach the final.
Pochettino didn’t have a free agent talisman, Harry Kane, in Amsterdam for the past seven years, and Tudor’s job has not been made easier by his concerns over injuries and absences.
Spurs team news for Atletico clash
Tudor’s selection decisions – not least the choice to start Antonin Kinsky in goal last week – have certainly come under the microscope, although the Croatian has to perform amid an almost unprecedented injury crisis.
Dejan Kulusevski. James Maddison. Mohammed Kudus. Only three high-ranking people were forced to watch as there was chaos in N17.
Frustratingly again, following a late clash of heads in the Spanish capital last week, Tudor revealed in the pre-match press conference that Joao Palhinha will be absent again, with the Portuguese coming off the worst of that nasty clash.
Another man involved, Cristian Romero, will be in contention, according to the former Juventus boss, although Conor Gallagher appears to be reluctant to face his former club due to illness.
On a positive note, both Destiny Udogie and Lucas Bergvall are likely to return to the bench following their recent spells on the sidelines, although neither player is expected to feature from the start.
Micky van de Ven will also return, after the Dutchman’s absence due to his suspension at the weekend, so it will be interesting to see if he or the aforementioned Romero will return to the side against Atleti.
Equally, it will be interesting to see what Tudor’s solution is on the right-hand side, with the Souza experiment failing to pay off on Merseyside.
Tudor could bench Souza for Spurs new Gareth Bale
As he did with Kinsky last week, Tudor likes to surprise, with Sunday’s clash seeing the 47-year-old use something of an orthodox 4-4-2, although the young Souza has been dropped as a right-winger.
The young left-back, unsurprisingly, endured a torrid time against a strong Liverpool side, and was linked just before the hour mark as Spurs searched for a way back into the game.
In this case, another solution for that side would be to start Djed Spence in a new role in the center of the right field, where the Englishman shone against Borussia Dortmund earlier this season.
Although he is “amazing” behind the full time, in the view of team-mate Kyle Walker, the 25-year-old could be an option to consider again in a more advanced attacking position, providing real speed and power for Spurs from the flanks.
Moving from full-back to centre-back, as Gareth Bale is a clear example of, would be a welcome change, and the Welshman made his first memorable appearance on a real European stage following. that A hat-trick against Inter Milan in 2010.
Spence may not have that killer final product, but operating as a wing-back at Nottingham Forest, he racked up eight goals and an assist in 2021/22, helping to guide Steve Cooper’s side to promotion.
Like young Bale again, the £20m signing overcame a quiet start to his Spurs career to develop into a key figure in north London, at times looking like he would leave after receiving the cold shoulder from Antonio Conte.
|
Spence – Spurs statistics by coach |
||
|---|---|---|
|
The manager |
Games |
Terms (Help) |
|
Frank |
33 |
0 (0) |
|
The Tudor |
3 |
0 (0) |
|
Postecoglou |
35 |
2 (3) |
|
Count |
6 |
0 (0) |
|
Total |
77 |
2 (3) |
Making a statement in Europe, as Bale has enjoyed, could help Spence raise his game even further, with a talent that is certainly dynamic up front, endless on the downside – almost unstoppable to contain when in full flow.
Bringing him out to the right would also help cover any defensive mistakes by the man behind him, Pedro Porro, and Tudor could then use the aforementioned Van de Ven as a marauder, swerving to the left back, and maintaining a central pairing behind Radu Dragusin and Kevin Danso.
Spence may not be able to provide those Bale-esque Champions League heroics, but if Spurs want to take the game to another European giant, then the Three Lions star could be front and center from the sidelines.
The Academy star who played just 15 minutes for Spurs could replace Gallagher
Tottenham need to think outside the box in their battle to stay in the Premier League next season.
