Skip to content

Wimmer, Wimmer, Chicken Dinner

2 min read
by Fraser Bernstein
With Vertonghen injured, Fraser Bernstein reviews the City game and wonders if Kevin Wimmer has what it takes to fill the gap.

In my last post I stated that “at full strength, nothing can stop Spurs”.

Clearly I’ve tempted fate – Super Jan is now out for 6 weeks and the next few games without him are going to be a real test of our squad’s defensive depth.

The 2-2 draw at Manchester City on Saturday was (let’s face it) an extremely lucky point – aside from the fact that Walker should have been sent off for his push on Sterling in the second half as well as City being awarded a penalty, we were completely outplayed, particularly in the first half.

[linequote]The 2-2 draw at Manchester City on Saturday was (let’s face it) an extremely lucky point[/linequote]

Poch opted once again for the 3-4-2-1, with Kevin Wimmer replacing Vertonghen – and why wouldn’t he? We smashed Chelsea with this formation, so it seemed like the natural choice! However, I think it’s safe to say that it didn’t pay off.

What struck me most of all was how easily we were overrun in midfield. In fact, I would be very sceptical if we were to persist with that formation against Liverpool, who we face on the 11th February; they are a team who love playing through midfield, where we were so badly exposed by City.

Perhaps I’m jumping the gun though – this was Wimmer’s first game in a 3 at the back alongside Alderweireld and Dier, so naturally the understanding in the backline wouldn’t be 100%. With an extended run in the team and practicing the formation in training, there is every chance that Wimmer will quickly acclimatise to the role and we can push on.

After all, clearly we can play the 3-4-2-1; our superb win over Chelsea at the Lane proved as much. This means that Poch should “pick and choose” when to play 3 at the back, as opposed to playing it in every game.

On a more positive note, getting a draw at the Etihad despite being so hopelessly outclassed is a testament to the strength of character (channeling my inner Brendan Rodgers here) that has been instilled into this still extremely young team. I can think of so many occasions where Spurs sides in the past would have just folded and it would end up being a massacre.

[linequote]Getting a draw at the Etihad despite being so hopelessly outclassed is a testament to the strength of character[/linequote]

Credit has to go to Heung-Min Son for his well-taken equaliser – the South Korean is a player who I have tended to write off in the past, but he is steadily proving he can deliver when it matters.

Overall, I’m happy with the point, not the performance at City; we’ll have to see if Wimmer can prove he’s, err, a winner?

All views and opinions expressed in this article are the views and opinions of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of The Fighting Cock. We offer a platform for fans to commit their views to text and voice their thoughts. Football is a passionate game and as long as the views stay within the parameters of what is acceptable, we encourage people to write, get involved and share their thoughts on the mighty Tottenham Hotspur.

Fraser Bernstein

A tortured Spurs fan for 12 years. Normally cynical, but with the occasional delusion of grandeur.

1 Comment

  1. Anatole
    30/01/2017 @ 3:30 pm

    Moreover, at the end of the say it was Spurs who scored two rather nice goals whilst both of City’s were down to Spurs errors. One could argue that in terms of “quality play”, the game was more evenly matched than the statistics suggest.

    There is plenty to be upbeat about but Pochettino needs to get on with developing a Plan C (Plan A: 4-2-3-1 playing centrally; Plan B: 3-4-2-1 playing with width) for when other teams really press us aggressively. Liverpool at the beginning of the season was one such case, now Man City. Though in both cases we did actually salvage a draw.

Would you like to write for The Fighting Cock?