While Tottenham have looked impressive in the final third of the pitch since Jose Mourinho took over as head coach last month, there have still been some defensive issues that have been quite apparent.
Last Saturday’s game against Burnley was the first game under the new Spurs boss in which the team managed to keep a clean sheet when they comfortably beat Burnley 5-0.
Toby Alderweireld, who has been one of the players to have started every single game since Mourinho’s arrival, has admitted that the team is getting used to a new defensive process but revealed that the players haven’t had time to prepare due to the congested fixture list.
Speaking to the Evening Standard, the Belgian international said: “The amount of games is unbelievable, so there is no time to work. But when there is a little bit of time, we try to — and then you see some things coming back.”
He also spoke about the modifications that Spurs had made in defence and in the way they press the ball, with the team often pressing tactically and sometimes preferring to drop and remain compact.
Alderweireld added: “We have to be tactical. People think about the defensive process. It’s not only the goalkeeper, the centre-backs or the full-backs. It’s a team process. So, it starts with the goalkeeper, it works as a team.
“Sometimes we want to press and not everyone is doing their job — and then the pressure comes on the defence. We didn’t press all the time on Saturday. Sometimes we played compact, but there was a high line, so I think we did well there.”
Spurs Web Opinion
So far in the games we’ve played under Mourinho, it is noticeable that while the forward players are asked to press, the midfield pivots often drop back in case the opposition play their way through the first press. This has made the team a little less susceptible to the counter-attack.
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