Every game is big right now with Graham Potter under a superb amount of pressure from the fans and the media, if perhaps not quite as much from the club right now at least.
But the Spurs game still has a real feeling of it being a must-win. I want to see us perform well, and most importantly, score goals. After all, that is what wins football matches, you literally just have to score more than your opponent.
A few people have mentioned this as an idea, and I agree with it. I’d like to see Raheem Sterling deployed as the ‘false 9’ on Sunday. Sure, we know he isn’t a major goal threat, but then we lack that collectively. I just can’t see a way back/way in for Pierre Emerick Aubameyang after all that has happened and he’s also been very poor for us. And I cannot keep watching Kai Havertz play as our striker, it’s painful.
I also want to see us continue with the back four, because I think it’s important to perfect a settled lineup.
Sterling might not be the most prolific player, but I think he’s currently our best option as a 9, and he can interchange with Joao Felix, who can play close to him. I also think Sterling can be good with link-up play, and can also run in behind.
He’s strong on the ball and can be a real nuisance to defenders. Interchanging with Felix would really give their defence something to think about, whilst also creating room in behind for Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke to operate in when they come inside.
This would make for a very fluid attack that would drag opposition players out of their positions. So this would be the lineup I would go for on Sunday:
I’ve got Denis Zakaria in there alongside Enzo Fernandez and Potter simply HAS to see this is still a major issue. We need to use more of a defensive midfielder alongside Enzo, it’s as clear as daylight to me, I hope it is to Potter.
The rest of the team picks itself for me right now. If we line up this way, I would be fairly confident of getting a result at Spurs on Sunday, but what we will need is for the whole team to be at the top of their game. Felix, Mudryk, and Enzo were all off it in the last game/recently, and we need them to spark back up again, as well as the rest of the team.
I thought Sterling was pretty bright against Southampton, and I honestly think he can do a job there for now. Obviously it is FAR from ideal, but we lack a true goalscoring nine and need to address that in the summer. Until then, why not try this? He’s not going to be any worse than Havertz has been playing there this season, and I mean that with the upmost respect to a player I’d love to see succeed here but I just don’t think he will.
Also, I think there will be chances to counter Spurs as well at times during the game, and this attack has a lot of pace in it, especially with Sterling leading it. Food for thought.