How will Spurs line up this season with the new incomings?
The upcoming 2023/24 season for Tottenham Hotspur is expected to be a year of consolidation as a top 4 club, as manager Ange Postecoglou will be looking to clinch at least one domestic honor alongside it. After a series of sacks and arrivals, Spurs will be looking for consistency under Ange and from what we’ve seen last year, we are going to see the same but with much more consistency.
Formation and Tactical Setup
Postecoglou is expected to use the same 4-3-3 formation that has been characterized by high pressing and quick transitions.
With the arrival of Solanke, expect Spurs to become a bit more direct as well. He will be able to get with Son, Maddison, and Brennan with ease considering he played in the same system at Bournemouth.
Solanke will be more of a target man, and he’ll bring others into the play with his good hold up play and strength to hold off defenders.
Defense
Guglielmo Vicario, who was bought from Empoli, will continue to be the first-choice goalkeeper. His shot-stopping abilities and command of the area impressed everyone last year. Spurs will be hoping for more of the same.
The back four may be new, with Micky van de Ven occupying the middle of the field along with Cristian Romero. Van de Ven, who showed glimpses of being a powerhouse last year, should provide pace and stability to the defense and work as a foil to Romero’s physicality. Pedro Porro will start at the right-back position and Destiny Udogie, both, had a pretty decent first season at Spurs. The two full-backs are attacking full-backs, and that suits Postecoglou, who wants his full-backs to be attack-minded.
Midfield
Another interesting point in Postecoglou’s formation is the midfield trio. Bissouma will serve as a deep-lying playmaker and also be required to help in the defensive midfield duties. By his side, James Maddison will be the playmaker, chief in charge of beating the lines and serving the forwards with clever passes. Pape Matar Sarr could complete the trio, offering energy and box-to-box capabilities, although the highly rated and impressive Lucas Bergvall remains an option and even a good choice to start.
Attack
As we have already touched upon, Solanke will be key to Spurs this season. He is a proven commodity in the Premier League and his experience will only help Spurs get better, Richarlison, who had an inconsistent run last year due to his injuries, is expected to be a back-up or an option for one of the wide berths. Son is Son, he is going to take up that left wing position. The right wing is where things get interesting, Ange will have a good headache to choose between Brennan Johnson and Dejan Kulusevski, add Richarlison to the mix, and it is a problem of plenty. But it is a good problem to have.
Key Considerations
In Postecoglou’s bold approach to playing style, there will be a necessity for the players to show consistency now that they have a solid season behind them, especially in the defensive end. Performance of van de Ven and Maddison will be important together with the main players like Son. Thus, it remains to be seen if Tottenham will succeed in incorporating consistency to Ange Postecoglou’s style of play.
This season will be a season of transformation for Spurs as they aim to climb their way back to the top and become contenders once again.