The Renaissance of Spurs Under AVB: A tactical analysis

The azure skies over north-eastern London seemed to play its part. White Hart Lane was far away from buzzing. It was only the beginning of July and Spurs had to welcome a new manager to take over from one of their favourites. The man in charge had started a project a year ago, joining rivals Chelsea, and had soon found out London might not be as glittering as it had seemed to be.

Very few had contemplated that Chelsea’s decision to sack him after seven months in charge would turn into a book for Tottenham. As we look back today, David Levy’s decision to hand over his team to a young manager has paid rich dividends as they are now sitting just a point behind Chelsea in fourth place in the EPL table. The transition from Redknapp’s style to AVB’s has been interesting.

Most of the squad players were unhappy over his appointment but that mattered little for the dynamic Portuguese who went about his work, the foundation of which was laid by Redknapp himself. It doesn’t take rocket science to acknowledge the transformation of Spurs this season; more so, when you have just two specialist strikers at your disposal , one of whom who has been on the sidelines for most of the season.

The start to the 2012/13 season looked unsure, with Spurs throwing away leads and not defending well and dropping points at crucial points. However, a 3-2 win over Manchester United seemed to turn that around.

The transfer deadline day capture of Clint Dempsey provided much needed solidity up front and Moussa Dembele filled in the boots quite well, much to the delight of the White Hart Lane faithful. Gylfi Sigurdsson, of whom greater things were expected, hasn’t really burst onto the scene but with the season’s last chapters yet to penned, he could be just a game changer in any forthcoming nervous finishes.

The ever-reliable Gareth Bale has once again proved that he is the fulcrum to the Spurs’s leaps. Scott Parker had been been on the sidelines for the better part of the season but now he is back and will certainly provide the final push which Spurs have lacked in previous seasons.

It was once said that Tottenham would never better the likes of the other London sides but the saying might be banished come the end of the season, once and for all. Let’s have a look at some stats for Spurs this season.

Their chance-conversion has dramatically improved compared to previous seasons, which had often witnessed the North-East Londoners spilling chances and dropping points . Possession has also gradually improved, another aspect of AVB’s tactics and style of play. What has been great to see is the fact that this Spurs team can pass the ball long distances and make effective clearances which has much attributed to their improved season.

The average shot accuracy also speaks for itself. Defensively they have been solid, thanks to the reinforcements in the form of Vertongehen, Caulker and Kyle Walker. The latter deserves praise for his incisive runs, and his pace looks frightening whenever he runs with the ball. With players like Lennon, with all their trickery, Spurs have players who can change the game within seconds and turn it on its head.

Tottenham’s best player this season has been the Usain Bolt of their team: Gareth Bale. Its his left foot which seems to do all the talking; take for instance his piledriver against West Brom which earned them three points when things looked bleak. The best part of Bale’s football has been that he is equally good at tracking back and playing all over the pitch, just like the following heat map shows his action areas throughout season.

With 25 games played this season and some hard ones knocking at the door, Tottenham Hotspur will be on their toes. With Champions League dreams hovering above White Hart Lane, it is certainly am exciting time to be a Spurs fan. It might not be long before they could be blessed with the tag of being the best team in London, given the recent displays of Chelsea and Arsenal.

Stats courtesy: www.squawka.com