Sam Allardyce’s arrival as England manager isn’t set to change much about how Tottenham contributes to the team.
This summer’s European Championships were a failure for the Three Lions in multiple respects. Roy Hodgson’s team lacked structure. It leaked goals at an unsustainable rate considering their sheer inability to score even against the lowliest opposition. Harry Kane was taking corner kicks. Dele Alli was in central midfield. And for some reason an out-of-form Wayne Rooney was still an integral part of the starting XI.
A total of five Tottenham players were among that preferred XI. That fact led many to hypothesize that Tottenham’s poor form to end the Premier League season was carrying over into the Euros.
That wasn’t entirely fair. While Kane certainly looked gassed for much of the proceedings, Eric Dier remained immense in defensive midfield. Alli’s contributions would have been more substantiate if Hodgson knew how to use him. Meanwhile, Kyle Walker and Danny Rose were two of England’s best players, consistently bombing forward to support the team’s rickety attack.
If England’s Round of 16 dropout humiliation were a trial, there would not be enough evidence to condemn Tottenham’s players. Allardyce suggested as much when all five were called up for Sunday’s 2018 World Cup qualifier against Slovakia.
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That said, it remains uncertain if all of Tottenham’s players will slot into this revamped starting XI. There is certainly room for them there, however. Allardyce loves aggressive full-backs, and they don’t come more aggressive than Rose and Walker. Dier will retain his midfield destroyer spot even with competition from Leicester City’s Danny Drinkwater. And Kane remains England’s present and future number 9.
The odd man out, of course, is Alli. With Rooney still named captain, Allardyce will likely attempt to utilize the Manchester United man in the hole behind Kane in a 4-2-3-1. Alli could conceivably operate from either attacking flank. There’s likely no dislodging City’s Raheem Sterling in the form he’s in however, and Allardyce has a wealth of more suitable candidates for the right including Adam Lallana, Theo Walcott and new boy Michail Antonio.
Beyond retaining their status as the Premier League’s most-represented team, Tottenham’s players can expect to thrive in Allardyce’s tactics. The full-backs, as we’ve said, will be crucial to the team’s width. Allardyce’s preference for crossing the ball might actually be good practice for Tottenham’s full-backs. Mauricio Pochettino has shown increased favor for the wide areas so far this term, and getting Rose and Walker crossing regularly and accurately will be a major boost.
On the other end of those crossed balls will be Kane. He might not be able to thrive on the same serve he gets from Christian Eriksen or Érik Lamela, but he can expect those crosses early and often. We’ve been harsh on Rooney, but he’s shown some improved form of late himself working just behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic at United. It’s possible he also improves under a system like Allardyce’s which will not demand he contribute to midfield quite as much.
Sunday’s match marks a new beginning for England ahead of the trip to Russia in 2018. Changes will be made, but Allardyce would do well to continue to work with a core of Tottenham players.
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