Decoding Tottenham Hotspur’s best line up this season
Tottenham Hotspur secured the signature of Richarlison for a reported fee of £60m, adding flourish to an already devastating front three of Harry Kane, Dejan Kulusevski and Heung-Min Son.
Antonio Conte is building an empire of his own, with the full backing of owner Daniel Levy and Fabio Paratici’s free spending methods during the transfer window.
The plan to create a team that fits Conte’s tenacious style of play, defensive rigidity and frightening counter-attack has made Spurs arguably the busiest team in the Premier League, if not Europe.
They’ve already bolstered their goalkeeping ranks with the free transfer of Fraser Forster from Southampton, while Yves Bissouma is set to act as a smokescreen in front of the back line next season. Add to that the acquisition of Richarlison, and one can guess it’s not a team that’s investing on superstar signings but is being assembled with an end goal in mind.
Not to mention, the team, often scrutinised for not having ‘leader’ figures in the dressing room, now has the wealth of experience that Ivan Perisic carries.
With envious depth, what could be Conte’s best XI? Here’s a system that we believe the Italian will deploy to fulfil his vision.
The 3-4-2-1 with narrow wingers
What’s fascinating is that Tottenham aren’t done yet. The defence has performed below expectations of the players Conte has largely preferred in his short time in North London; there’s no reason to believe Spurs will not improve their back line with signings.
The former Italy and Juventus manager absolutely loves playing with two robust pivots. It’s no wonder then, that N’Golo Kante was often paired with Nemanja Matic in the Chelsea midfield under Conte, whilst Cesc Fabregas and his magic hat remained confined to the bench.
The team, to unleash the front three and onrushing wing-backs, would have Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Yves Bissouma guarding the defence, which would have to stretch in transition.
Perisic, predominantly used as a left wing-back under the same coach in Inter Milan, could slot in at right wing-back, with Sergio Reguilon keeping his place on the opposite flank.
Richarlison’s hefty price tag adds an aerial threat, predatory instincts, and physicality to the attacking system. However, it’d be harsh on any of Kane, Kulusevski or Son if they were replaced by the Brazilian.
The formula here would remain the same – create space for the wingers to run into, with Kane dropping deep and wing-backs overlapping. The defensive midfielders will be tasked with keeping possession and winning the ball back high up the field.
The 3-5-2 with a midfield weigh down
This is where the likes of Richarlison and more defensive-minded wingbacks come into play, allowing Conte to show off some of his depth.
The 3-5-2 with a little diamond is likely to be used when Tottenham play the big Champions League matches and against teams that wear you down, essentially, Manchester City and Liverpool.
Against their mobile midfield that runs the show, Tottenham would have three players in the middle hunting in packs and unloading a pressing style centred around the midfield. They will not make the opponent calculate every pass but will push them to one corner of the field and wait for the moment to counter.
It’s far more defensive, and hence, needs wide players to be sound while protecting their goal.
To attack from set-pieces and buy time for the players to reconstruct into a trapezium-style attacking shape, Richarlison would come into the side. He’s not afraid to take on players and is certainly one of the better headers of the football in the division.
Rodrigo Bentancur’s aggressive ball-retention tenacity would hold key to their function. He’s excellent on the ball, and has a diverse range of passes in his arsenal. This system will also demand the wing-backs to carry their shooting boots, as they’ll get into some promising positions.
Regardless, Conte not only will have the players and squad depth, but also a team ready to morph into unique configurations depending on the situation or opponent.
It’s a long season for Conte and Tottenham, and their primary goal would be to forge a challenge in the various competitions. Something scary is stirring up at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.
-Akarshak Roy
Twitter: @RoyAkarshak