major events
My colleague Luke McLaughlin wrote this week that Spurs’ style feels out of place.
He took the 3–4 defeat at home to Chelsea as an example and asked, “Is it sustainable to play with all guns blazing throughout the season, as if the bell is about to ring at the end of the lunch break?”
This is not the first time that Postecoglou’s team has been asked this. However, I wonder whether Tottenham fans will accept anything other than tremendous go-forward footy?
Big Ang is not backing down. After calling out Timo Werner that the German’s performance against Rangers this week was “not acceptable”, the Tottenham boss has claimed he has no time for “bruised egos”.
It’s a heavy-handed approach but perhaps it’s needed. A little kick in the rear to start the season off with a bang.
We’ll find out if it worked.
tottenham team
Big Ang is still searching for his preferred starting XI.
Dejan Kulusevski, Lucas Bergvall, Jade Spence, Pep Sarr and Dominic Solanke all start. Timo Werner is on the bench with a group of youngsters after being scolded by his boss in midweek.
Tottenham 4-2-3-1: Forster, Gray, Dragusin, Spence, Udogi, Bergvall, Sarr, Maddison, Son, Kulusevski, Solanke.
Subs: Austin, Porro, Lancashire, Dorrington, Olusesi, King, Hardie, Werner, Johnson.
southampton team
Four changes for the Saints from the team that lost to Villa last week.
Alex McCarthy returned with a goal past Jan Bednarek. Joe Aribo and Kamaldeen Sulemana have also been given a chance to show their stuff right from the start.
Southampton 4-5-1: McCarthy, Walker-Peters, Manning, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Sulaimana, Downes, Aribo, Fernandes, Armstrong, Dibbling.
Subs: Lumley, Brie, Wood, Sugawara, Amo-Ameyaw, Fraser, Lallana, Onuachu, Archer.
Preface
Granted, that’s usually the way it is in football, but both of these teams can really pull out wins this evening.
Southampton are bottom of the table and have not won for more than a month. Tottenham, who are in 12th, are doing that thing they do where they beat good teams (or at least compete with them) but then finish places against everyone else.
Wolves are screaming out the door for both managers and only a positive result on the south coast will keep them away for a while longer.
Does this mean that we will get a classic encounter where players will get into tackles and there will be a fight for every blade of grass? That’s certainly the hope.
Starting at 7 pm.
Teams and further updates to follow.