Don't Get Too Excited, But it Looks Like This Tottenham Squad Is Responding to Jose Mourinho

Thursday 9 July was not a good day for Tottenham fans.

To date, it's the last time we've seen Tanguy Ndombele in a Spurs shirt. Woe is me.

It was also the day that Tottenham drew 0-0 at Bournemouth, failing to register a shot on target.

After an absolute farce of a performance at Sheffield United and a turgid albeit successful 1-0 victory over Everton - courtesy of a Michael Keane own goal - it looked like Spurs had absolutely no idea how to attack opposition teams.

The blunt display at the Vitality Stadium was one such example, but pre-lockdown results like the RB Leipzig and Norwich defeats - even with a depleted squad available to manager Jose Mourinho - were abject and disheartening in equal measure.

Yes, that's partly because Dele Alli and Lucas Moura aren't strikers but were being asked to play up front due to injuries to Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, but results and performances over the past week have been more encouraging with a more settled look to Tottenham's front line.

Tottenham haven't shot themselves in the foot by botching counter-attacking opportunities recently. Instead, they have a properly fit Kane who can run beyond defenders and create space for Son and Lucas.

That much was clear to see against Leicester, who were admittedly shocking in their 3-0 loss in north London.

The Foxes' three central defenders - Jonny Evans, Ryan Bennett and Wes Morgan - looked like they were each running in quicksand for much of the encounter, such was the disparity in pace and movement between them and Tottenham's trio of attackers.

So when Spurs did get the chance to counter, they had to take it. With just under 30% of possession throughout the whole game, Tottenham and Mourinho's plan was clear to see: sit deep, defend in numbers with attackers helping out in wide areas, coiled and ready to spring into action when the chances came.

It worked to a tee.

With Brendan Rodgers' wing backs pushing high up the pitch, Son was allowed to run at Bennett early on, resulting in James Justin's highly unfortunate early own goal. Spurs then countered from a corner with remarkable efficiency, Kane slotting in from Lucas' well-weighted pass.

The third goal? Well, Kane should not have been allowed to shift the ball on to his right foot so easily, but the whipped finish from England's captain five minutes before half time was still emphatic.

Tottenham were 3-0 up at the halfway point and did not need to push on, content that they could keep Leicester - who have been dealt some hefty injury and suspension blows in recent weeks - at an arm's length.

There's also a more settled side being fielded each time Spurs take to the pitch. Moussa Sissoko and Harry Winks often play as the sitting two, with Giovani Lo Celso ratting around a little further up the pitch. Not quite as a classical, creative number ten, but as a driving force which links midfield and attack with tight ball control and smart dribbling.

When a counter-attacking gameplan is in action, those three can operate well together. Winks in particular was impressive on Sunday, knitting phases together neatly and also providing more forward passes than usual. Lo Celso won five tackles and Sissoko again provided support to Serge Aurier down the right.

It would, of course, be a tad foolish to get overly excited too soon about a few good results against a hamstrung Leicester, an Arsenal side that self-destructed in the north London derby, or a clueless Everton. But then again, that's no fun, is it?

Tottenham now have a system which they know works against sides who dominate possession. The challenge is to find a way to win games when the roles are reversed, and that will need a more thorough tactic than handing Ben Davies or Aurier the ball, asking them to deliver crosses and hoping for the best.

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