Tottenham Hotspur recently incurred a disastrous defeat against Premier League newcomers Ipswich Town at White Hart Lane as Ange Postecoglou’s team struggled to find a run of form, and the North Londoners have been lagging in their objective of a probable Champions League qualification. The Lilywhites are stuck at 10th in the Premier League table and risk dropping into the second half of the league table if the ongoing run of performances doesn’t improve after the international break.
Spurs have been struggling to make numbers count offensively, which is a compounded problem that they have been having defensively.
Postecoglou attack-first tactics backfire
While the Australian head coach has implemented a highly attacking brand of football where all the passes and movements are offensive-orientated, he hasn’t been able to find a defensive balance to reciprocate that at the back. Tottenham have been a mess at the back, with the club hardly keeping a couple of clean sheets in the English top tier this season.
Spurs struggles at the back have been particularly evident, as there is a certain lack of cohesion and organisation that leaves them vulnerable ever now and then.
Spurs should look at Liverpool?
And after yesterday’s game, Craig Burley cited how Liverpool balanced their defensive structure while playing a similar brand of offensive football. He said:
“Look at Liverpool; they’re an attacking team, but they still defend well. When one fullback advances, the other stays back to cover. Tottenham needs a similar structure because this ‘attack at all costs’ mindset isn’t sustainable in the Premier League.”
Liverpool are one of the most attacking dominant sides in the league; however, they find a way to balance offensive outputs with defensive numbers, and if Tottenham are to climb up the table, they need to find a way to replicate similar performances.
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Do you think Spurs should be looking at Liverpool to learn defensive balance in a highly offensively dominant game? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
