Friday 11 December 2015 11:33, UK
Does Harry Kane need some striker help at Tottenham? Not necessarily, on the evidence of their 4-1 Europa League win over Monaco on Thursday. Adam Bate was at White Hart Lane to see Erik Lamela's hat-trick and wonders whether Mauricio Pochettino will continue to find solutions within the squad...
Mauricio Pochettino might not have an out-and-out striker to provide back-up for Harry Kane but his Tottenham team showed against Monaco on Thursday night that this need not necessarily prove a problem. For one thing, he does have an Erik Lamela.
The Argentine played from the right flank in the drizzle at White Hart Lane but managed to find himself in front of goal on three occasions in the first half and converted the lot for the first hat-trick of his career. Three goals in 37 minutes after scoring just once in his first 28 Tottenham games.
His opener required a striker's instinct, finding space to sweep home inside two minutes. The second, from distance, owed much to a goalkeeping error but the third was a firm strike with his weaker right foot. By the time he was replaced by Nacer Chadli on the hour, he'd settled the game.
Pochettino won't be expecting Lamela to deliver quite as emphatically as this too often, but the manner in which his side dismantled a defensively-dismal Monaco is testament to the Tottenham coach's ability to find alternative solutions from within his young squad.
On Thursday, he introduced Josh Onomah for his full debut on the left side of midfield, with Clinton Njie playing as a striker and Son Heung-Min in support. Perhaps not all of them were in their natural positions but they certainly played with more skill and enthusiasm than the visitors could muster.
By the time he addressed the media in the post-match press conference, Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim had the benefit of two hours to come to terms with those goals but he appeared crestfallen nevertheless. "We just couldn't cope with the full-on pressing style of Spurs," he admitted.
Indeed, the speed and fluidity of the Spurs forward line can seem irresistible. All of them, Kane included, are comfortable anywhere in the final third and it's easy to see why Pochettino has resisted the temptation to saddle himself with another Emmanuel Adebayor or Roberto Soldado.
Not that he sees it in those terms. Pochettino made the valid point afterwards that the preference for working with young players is sometimes presented as an easy option for him, as though it's somehow more straightforward instructing inexperienced players than older ones.
"It's easy to say, and I hear a lot that Pochettino has a young squad so it's easy to play the way they play with energy," he said. "But when the results are good, that's it, and when the results are bad they say you need more experience. The key is to work hard on the training ground."
And in games too. There was more than enough anguished head-shaking from the sideline against Monaco to make it clear he sees it as a work in progress. Clinton appeared to be the target for much of his ire - seemingly running down channels when he should have been showing for the ball.
But if they're ready to learn and willing to listen then it seems Pochettino will be patient enough. There's responsibility on Kane's 22-year-old shoulders but, in this sense, he's not alone. The oldest member of the front four on Thursday was Lamela at 23. Pochettino knows it's a balancing act.
"We have offensive players who can play like Harry," he said recently. "There is Sonny or Chadli or Clinton - they can play like a striker. But maybe it's true. I recognise they are not specifically strikers, so maybe we will work to try to find such a player we can add to try to help the team.
"What is most important is that we do not rock the balance of the team. It is important we find someone who is very specific. For me, always you want to find a striker that scores a lot of goals and who has good physical condition, good characteristics, can press, work hard and is a nice guy too."
That last quality might seem like a throwaway line but its significance shouldn't be ignored. Andros Townsend is a young man of good character but he's still waiting for his first minutes since a dispute with the Spurs fitness coach over a month ago against Aston Villa. Pochettino has high standards.
So he'll keep doing it his way. His side finished on Thursday with Chadli on the left, the teenage Onomah on the right, with substitute Dele Alli playing in support of Son, who'd been moved up top following Clinton's withdrawal.
Changes were made but one thing stays the same. Tottenham are a team playing with purpose and verve. Don't rule out some transfer activity next month. But it's the transformation that's been going on since Pochettino's appointment in May 2014 that remains the real story at Spurs.
Charlie Austin
Austin scored 18 Premier League goals for Queens Park Rangers last season so he would be entitled to feel aggrieved to find himself in the Championship. A host of clubs were apparently unwilling to meet QPR's asking price in the summer and there were suggestions that Pochettino did not feel he was the right fit for Spurs. Will a crammed fixture list change his mind in January?
Saido Berahino
The West Brom forward was a target in the summer with the Baggies hierarchy frustrated when the player became unsettled just before the window closed. Berahino can operate as a striker but, like Son, can also take up wide positions so is the sort of versatile option that Pochettino favours. Whether Spurs are likely to have any joy in rekindling their interest is another matter.
Alexandre Lacazette
Pochettino knows French football well from his playing days and Lacazette's efforts last season will not have escaped his attention. The Lyon forward hit 29 goals, impressing with his pace and finishing. With his club out of Europe for the season, the France international could emerge as a January target but would Tottenham be prepared to pay the fee?
Alexandre Pato
The Brazil international made a big name for himself as a youngster at AC Milan and has been repeatedly linked with a move to the Premier League. However, while Pato has age on his side, there must be question marks over whether he can bring the sort of intensity that Pochettino demands from his youthful squad. He would be a wildcard option.
Ayoze Perez
It's been a tough start to the season for Newcastle but Perez has retained the faith of supporters with his enthusiasm and endeavour. The young forward scored in his team's wins over Norwich and Bournemouth as well as the draw with Chelsea but has since dropped out of the starting line-up. At 22 and having already featured in various positions, Perez has the flexibility to interest Pochettino.
