Midfield madness

Things are close to tipping point in the Tottenham Hotspur midfield. At present Spurs have nine midfielders who could broadly be described as players that operate in the centre of midfield in either a defensive screening capacity, that of a deep-lying playmaker or operating further up the field behind the forward line. With all players returning to training this week or next, Pochettino will soon have the following players with which to fill the centre of the park: Sandro, Dembélé, Holtby, Paulinho, Eriksen, Capoue, Carroll, Bentaleb and Mason. He is about to become spoiled for choice.

We have seen from the USA pre-season tour that Pochettino prefers to play a midfield three lining up in two ways: two deep-lying centre-mids and one roaming ahead; or with two midfielders playing slightly further forwards (Holtby especially has been utilised here) and one screening the back four. This triumvirate are required to give impetus to the team, playing dynamic all-action roles and ensure more direct transitions of play from the back four up the pitch.

With this in mind it is pertinent to look at where the potential acquisition of the talented Morgan Schneiderlin would fit into Poch’s plans. The reported fee Southampton would require to relinquish Schneiderlin has been quoted at c£27m, whereas if rumours are to be believed Daniel Levy began with a £13m opening gambit.

[linequote]With Tottenham due to compete on four fronts it will be key to maintain a large squad[/linequote]

The two parties seem a long way apart regardless of Krueger’s statement of intent to keep Schneiderlin and Rodriguez on the south coast. Schneiderlin’s Twitter outburst bemoaning Saints insistence that he stay may not help proceedings, with a transfer request perhaps not too far off. But what would such an outlay bring to a Tottenham side already overrun with comparable centre-mids?

The comparison matrix above (courtesy of Squawka) shows the players which have predominantly been utilised at the base of the midfield in the last season and is the pool which Poch would have to select from. This matrix can be used to see how Schneiderlin would shape up against his competitors for a midfield berth. We can see from the matrix that Schneiderlin is an adept passer of the ball, racking up more passes per game than his would-be competitors.

The Frenchman’s pass completion rate is also excellent, with a number of passes registering as ‘key’, adding to his capabilities with the ball at feet. Interceptions also stand out as a strong suit, bettered only by Capoue (Capoue’s stats no doubt boosted by the excellent start he made to the season at DM last year.) It appears promising if not ground-breaking.

We can see that Schneiderlin would make a good addition to the squad (and arguably any squad in the EPL for that matter) so what would have to be done to accommodate him?

It stands to reason that Poch would need to ship a number of midfielders out in order to trim the squad and keep players happy. A move to Napoli is on the cards for Sandro – although, should they secure Fellaini’s services it could perhaps see their interest in Sandro fade – with Paulinho, Capoue and Holtby never far from the tabloid gossip columns.

Tottenham would likely make use of the loan system again to get Tom Carroll and Nabil Bentaleb loans to fellow Premier League clubs. This would be excellent for their development and there are a number of clubs who appear to be light at centre-mid with less than three weeks until the start of the season proper. If Mason fails to settle into the squad or if Pochettino deems him surplus to requirements then it’s likely he will be sold.

[linequote]Getting the most out of the existing players available is vital and he will be judged should any of his replacements not bring about an improvement in the squad[/linequote]

With Tottenham due to compete on four fronts it will be key to maintain a large squad. The balance may be difficult to achieve for Pochettino with some players in the squad known to be injury prone (I’m looking at you, Sandro) and other prospects requiring game time to develop. It is a situation that we as a club are not unused to and it all rings a bit familiar.

There appears to be no shortage of déjà vu about this situation; a rotating cast of midfielders behind the scenes, all much of a muchness regardless of whom is spun in or out the door. It is doubtless that Schneiderlin would improve the Tottenham midfield and his eagerness to work with Poch again and to snub interest from Woolwich is admirable.

However, the whole affair seems very old hat with players brought in for only one season, given limited chances to perform (perhaps hindered by injury) and then quickly shown the door. We can only hope that Pochettino can buck this trend and really get the team to gel. Getting the most out of the existing players available is vital and he will be judged should any of his replacements not bring about an improvement in the squad. It shouldn’t be forgotten, Levy expects Poch to be more Brian Epstein than Allan Williams, he must make The Beatles sing.