IT could be a long afternoon for Tottenham against Chelsea on Sunday.
We all saw how some Spurs fans booed Ange Postecoglou at the end of the Bournemouth game on Thursday, which shows what they are thinking.
7
7
But I just don’t know what his best team is or what we will get from them.
Yes, Postecoglou has had a few injuries, especially at the back. He’s lost the two centre-halves Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, as well as goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.
Despite this they had that really great performance against Manchester City but either side of that they had Crystal Palace, Ipswich and Bournemouth . . . really poor performances.
They’ve now had the injury to Ben Davies as well.
Spurs are not a settled team. Even when they’re all fit you are not sure who is going to play.
It leaves them very short at the back and if they end up putting Archie Gray alongside Radu Dragusin, I wouldn’t fancy that much especially because the two full-backs love to attack and those two would be exposed.
Archie is a fantastic young talent but playing centre-half against a Chelsea side in great form is a brave one.
If I was Ange I would look to play a much more defensive-looking team.
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS
I wouldn’t be sitting here thinking, “Right, let’s go and attack them”. It’s not a day for him to be going gung-ho.
He will have to make sure he puts in a really solid midfield and maybe forgoes his attacking instincts to get defensive stability in front of that pair at the back.
That could mean playing five across the midfield and Dominic Solanke on his own up top. Ange cannot afford to be open.
The full-backs will have to be told they can’t just bomb forward willy-nilly but have to keep a solid base.
You have to stay in the game and be patient. Maybe just take the opportunities when they come — if they get them.
I know how much it matters to fans of both teams because this is a huge rivalry now. But if Tottenham fans put pressure on the players, that could play right into Chelsea’s hands.
The Blues will have seen what happened on Thursday night and will try to dominate the early exchanges.
Chelsea are definitely going there as favourites. They are full of confidence with a spring in their step. Yet at the start of the season they looked a bit of a mishmash and I really couldn’t see them doing anything.
It can be a big problem when you have too many players who all think they should be playing. That can lead to a very difficult dressing room.
But they seem to have sorted that out and things are going great. The manager is doing a good job and now people are suddenly saying, “Hang on, it’s not impossible”.
When you see the team they put out to score five at Southampton in midweek, that shows everybody is buying into what they’re trying to do.
Cole Palmer is the main man. He would be the X-factor for any team. But we’re seeing it with Enzo Fernandez as well now. He’s a World Cup winner and starting to show the form they bought him for.
It’s the same with Moises Caicedo. Now he’s really showing what he is capable of and they are looking strong in midfield.
But I also look at Nicolas Jackson. I have to be honest, when they bought him I thought, “He is just not good enough”.
He was going to Bournemouth for £20million but that didn’t happen because he had an injury and I really thought the Cherries had saved themselves £20m.
Now Jackson is looking a very useful player. Full credit to the manager because he has given him a bit of self belief and he’s delivering the goods.
If Chelsea can continue this run, they will put themselves bang in the picture.
D-DAY FOR GARY AND JULEN
IT will be a nervous night for both bosses at the London Stadium on Monday.
For me, it’s a bit early to be thinking about pulling the trigger but West Ham and Wolves are sides that are struggling.
7
I know Gary O’Neil well and feel he’s done a great job, even though it’s been difficult with the injuries and the players he lost.
He did a fantastic job at Bournemouth but now he needs a result or two at Wolves.
I’ve watched a lot of their games and I feel they have been really unlucky in many of them, but the pressure is growing. The fans seemed to turn on him for the first time at Everton last week. It can get difficult when that happens — and the players sense it.
What I do know is that Gary has so much to offer. He’s very good, bright as a button.
I saw a lot of what he did at Bournemouth — that was fantastic — and then last year at Wanderers, but he definitely needs some luck to turn it around now.
It feels a bit similar for Julen Lopetegui at the Hammers. A lot of it comes down to recruitment. I thought their signings looked good in the summer but German striker Niclas Fullkrug has barely played because he has been injured since he arrived — although he did score that late goal at Leicester.
I reckon both managers would take a draw, keep their jobs and get a bit of time, because if anyone does lose the game they’re going to be under severe pressure.
If Wolves can keep the crowd quiet and the fans start to get edgy and turn a bit, then it could be a tough night for the hosts.
GUNNERS ARE SET TO WIN
THERE have been a few people rushing to criticise Arsenal because they are scoring so many goals from set-pieces.
Dimitar Berbatov said they were just a modern version of Stoke after the Manchester United game.
7
What it comes down to is that they have people who want to attack the ball with a bit of movement.
Their centre-halves, Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba, have got a bit of size but REALLY want to score.
Rather than moaning about them, you have to put your best markers on their best attacking weapons.
I see too many set-plays where forwards are put up against defenders — but forwards can’t defend and they get done. You have to make sure your centre-halves are on their ones.
You want a good header of the ball at the near post, someone at the back post and sometimes you can have a spare man and just tell him to go wherever the ball goes
At West Ham I had Julian Dicks, a fantastic header of the ball. I would leave him free to start in the middle, attack the ball and nod it away.
If I had to play against this Arsenal side I’d love to have Sol Campbell and Sylvain Distin, who played for me at Portsmouth, as my two centre-backs.
Sol was a powerhouse and if he was marking you, you were never going to get ahead of him to that ball. Sylvain was also a big, strong athlete.
But with Arsenal you’ve got to be aware of everything because they can hurt you from all over the place.
Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard are fantastic players. Odegaard pulls all the strings while Bukayo is so dangerous. They are why I think Arsenal will battle Liverpool all the way.
They’re definitely not just a good set-piece team. They are a really good team who are great at set-pieces.
And when that ball comes in, they’ve got people who want to score. Fulham will have to be at their very best when the Gunners visit.
7
