Tottenham has an interesting choice to make in their attacking midfield
Tottenham attacker Son Heung-Min has made a compelling case for more playing time with his last two Premier League performances. If the Korean does crack the starting XI, it’s going to cost another talented player significant playing time.
If Mauricio Pochettino does make the switch to put Son into the starting lineup, there are three Spurs starters it might affect. Either Christian Eriksen, Erik Lamela, or Dele Alli would have to be dropped to accommodate his inclusion.
It’s a really tough choice for the Spurs manager. All three men had significant moments of brilliance for the club last season. Each player significantly outplayed Son during the 2015-16 campaign.
Still, Son has looked brilliant during his forays against both Stoke and Sunderland. While each is one of the weakest squads in the Premier League, you can’t deny his attacking quality against them. He posted two goals against the Potters and was Tottenham’s Man of the Match against Sunderland. It’s perfectly reasonable to believe he’ll secure a place in the starting XI.
Absent a formation change, that’s going to cost another attacking midfielder their place. It would be very interesting to see who Pochettino might choose to sacrifice. It’s not as if any player will be completely frozen out of the squad, but a clear pecking order will be established.
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In my mind, the safest of the trio is Dele Alli. He recently signed a banner deal with the club, and he is clearly the club’s best hope of developing a true world-class superstar. His invention and ingenuity with the ball at his feet gives Spurs the sort of driving force that Pochettino craves from his attacking midfield.
That leaves Pochettino to choose between dropping Lamela and Eriksen. Each have their positives, but both have significant negatives as well. In the end, I believe Pochettino would favor the Argentine international over his Danish star.
The reason behind preferring Lamela is very straight forward. He provides a much greater physical presence in the midfield than Eriksen. Some Spurs fans might think he fouls too much or makes too many silly challenges, but he is exceptional at winning the ball back for his side. When he isn’t in the lineup, the attacking midfield lacks some tenacity.
That would lead Pochettino to make the rather shocking move of dropping Eriksen. While the Danish midfielder is certainly the club’s most skilled attacker, he isn’t the physical presence that Pochettino truly prefers. That’s why he would find himself on the outside of his manager’s starting XI.
The reality of this situation is that all four of these men, plus the newly acquired Moussa Sissoko will rotate heavily all season long. Pochettino is going to have to manage each ego carefully to keep the dressing room in perfect harmony. If Son does start in the short-term, expect to see Eriksen coming off the Tottenham bench.
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