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Lack of Courage Costs Pochettino and Tottenham Hotspur in Bournemouth Draw
- Updated: October 22, 2016
Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino literally laughed in response to a question in his pre-Bournemouth press conference about striker Vincent Janssen’s lack of goals so far. Not in a mean way, by any means, but still with surprise people were scrutinising the 22-year-old summer signing so intensely.
“He is young, he is coming from Netherlands and always the players that come from outside need time,” Pochettino replied, stressing the need for patience with the import. “The most important thing is he’s always focusing on trying to improve, work hard, and that is the better way to arrive to score in the game.”
Ignoring his own advice, or not sufficiently believing his words in the first place, Pochettino did not start Janssen in the 0-0 draw with Cherries. It was a strategic misjudgement and, after the aforementioned backing, a cowardly choice from which the subsequent Tottenham display accordingly followed suit.
In criticising a lack of courage from the north Londoners, there is a tangle of footballing principles that needs unwinding first.
On paper, the more straightforward Janssen would seem a safer choice up front. Heung-Min Son, who did start against Bournemouth, has a greater element of surprise in the choices he makes dribbling, passing and shooting from various angles.
Mauricio: “Son is a different type of player to Vincent & we believe he’s a good option to play up front, like we did v Man City.” #COYS pic.twitter.com/Kjee8PDmKk
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) October 22, 2016
Before the match Pochettino cited the South Korean’s display leading the line in their 2-0 win over Manchester City prior to the international break as a reason informing the choice (see above). In that impressive victory, he kept the opponents’ defence guessing, individually charging at them in their penalty area and tempting them out of position with deceptive or misleading looks to team-mates further back.
In many matches, flexibility in attempting to unlock a team is welcome. But here was a case where imagination and bravery in creative decisions needed a more fixed component to work around, someone to do the ugly jobs that would allow those minds to flourish.
The combative Janssen seemed an obvious choice here.
Bournemouth are looking more confident throughout their side this season, but at the back, they are still liable to be caught out.
Three of the four goals they conceded at Man City saw them ripped apart with ease. Watford’s Troy Deeney and Isaac Success’ goals twice cancelling leads out in the 2-2 draw against last month was a result of abject marking.
Utilised from the start, the Janssen seen in the two preceding draws with West Bromwich Albion and Bayer Leverkusen could have soon unsettled and provoked the Bournemouth defence (albeit he would have had to bide his time, too, through the home side’s early pressure).
The willingness to back into defenders, battering them while holding the ball up, his awareness of pockets to attack and when to look for team-mates from there—all of this would have made the Cherries nervous in the close-quarter combinations …
