As we have come to the midpoint of the 22/23 Premier League campaign, we have already learned a lot about Tottenham Hotspur.
After clinching Tottenham’s Champions League qualification in May ahead of Arsenal and Man United, Antonio Conte and co. have done well this season to go into the World Cup break fourth in the table. There have been ups and downs, as it should be for Spurs, but Conte has managed to negotiate it away and keep his team firmly in the top-four mix.
Without further ado, here are three things we have learned from Tottenham’s season till now.
#Second-half specialists
It has become something of a theme for Tottenham to fall behind in the first half and produce a dramatic comeback to either clinch a point or win games in the second 45 minutes this season.
If their games against Sporting CP, Bournemouth, Marseille and Leeds United had all ended at half-time, Antonio Conte’s side would have lost all four, conceding five goals and scoring just one. For some or the other reason, Spurs have struggled to take the lead at the halfway point of a game, which should certainly be frustrating for Conte and his coaching staff.
This season, the north Londoners of the second half have been a team to be scared of. In 22 games, they have scored 25 goals after the interval. In the first half, however, they are often indecisive, sloppy and unadventurous, and have scored only 13 goals.
It is still unknown whether this is a problem or truly part of the plan, but one thing is certain it is the most risky plan indeed from Spurs.
#Tottenham lack Plan B
Under Conte, Spurs are a highly regimented side with a distinct style of play that involves discipline, strong defensive structure, pin-point passing patterns and emphasis on quick counter-attacks when retaining possession.
The north London side have spent most of the 2022/23 campaign eking results while playing a poor, sluggish and lacklustre brand of football but this pattern never felt entirely sustainable, and they have suffered majorly in the games before the World Cup break for not having found their rhythm yet.
One of Conte’s biggest concerns should be his lack of Plan B while his key players are either unavailable or injured. Son Heung-min has been off the boil compared to last season, while Harry Kane has been told to concentrate more on scoring goals rather than his playmaking abilities. Without Dejan Kulusevski, Spurs have often lacked creativity and looked one-paced going forward.
When Conte’s actual system hasn’t worked in games, there doesn’t seem to be an alternative plan for Spurs.
#Yves Bissouma yet to fully convince
Spurs fans seemed excited after the club announced the signing of Yves Bissouma from Brighton in the summer. Bissouma, 26, was one of the best midfielders in the Premier League while at Brighton, but unfortunately, he is yet to show his qualities at Tottenham.
The Malian international has only started six of Tottenham’s 15 league games so far this term, and while he has had to bide time due to Rodrigo Bentancur and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg establishing a strong understanding in the middle of the park, he has still had opportunities along the way and has failed to impress.
Spurs faithful may have expected Bissouma to cement his place in Conte’s team by this stage of the season, but he has lacked any semblance of continuity and has been unable to genuinely challenge Bentancur and Hojbjerg in the centre of the park.