This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
It is clear that things aren’t going well for Tottenham at the moment, and to make matters worse there is no clear solution to their problems.
Mauricio Pochettino has been unable to control matters on and off the pitch in recent weeks as player discontent seems rife, and that has led to some shocking results.
Several key players are allegedly unhappy, leading some to make movements to leave, and such ill-feeling is having an adverse effect on performances, with one win in five games.
Christian Eriksen, for example, has made no secret of his desire to depart for Real Madrid, and the Dane has subsequently returned just one goal and one assist in 11 appearances.
As a result, Pochettino could be tempted to grant young players more opportunities. He has done so in the recent past with Juan Foyth, Kyle Walker-Peters and Oliver Skipp examples of recent breakthroughs, but now he may feel he has to play them more often out of necessity.
Youngsters often have the hunger and desire to impress, showing effort and commitment in the process, and that could lead the Argentine to utilise them more often.
Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below
However, doing so risks Spurs’ chances of success this campaign, particularly their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League for a fifth consecutive season.
It is a lot to ask a young player to perform at a consistent level over the course of 30-40 games, particularly to the standards set by senior players over the past few years, and it would mark a change in Tottenham’s strategy to bed in youngsters gradually.
Pochettino has seemingly already lost a little faith in Walker-Peters, for example, who has vanished from the matchday squad on his return from injury having started the first three league games of the season.
Despite that, it is a course of action that would probably sit well with Tottenham fans, with some calling for Foyth and Walker-Peters to come into the side in the hope that getting rid of “uncommitted” players improves a defence which has conceded 11 goals in the previous three matches.
Pochettino must therefore decide the best course of action to take, and quickly, as the team’s current form means they would likely miss out on the Champions League qualification, and that could be critical to the club long-term.
Spurs spent big in the summer to keep up with their top-six rivals, but given they offloaded an estimated £1 billion on their new stadium they need all the income they can garner – and the Champions League is key to that.
Equally important is maintaining their appeal to players who may be more likely to overlook them in favour of a rival due to the comparative club sizes and the wages made available to them.