Tottenham fans finally got their wish on Saturday with Cristian Stellini opting to change the team's formation as they trailed 2-1 against lowly Bournemouth. Operating in a 3-4-3 system ever since Antonio Conte replaced Nuno Espirito Santo as Spurs head coach in November 2021 and very rarely diverting away from it, the Italian had only tweaked the formation on a couple of occasions as he went with a 3-5-2 to give the team an extra body in midfield.
The team's setup has been a big talking point amongst the fanbase, with many believing that the Lilywhites should steer away from a three-man defence in order to have an additional player in midfield or attack. Tottenham have been overrun in midfield at times this term, notably in January's defeat against Arsenal, with their midfield two fighting a losing battle due to their opponents having a one-man advantage there.
Spurs' lack of joy from the wing-back areas at times has also left fans wanting a formation switch, as has the all too predictable nature of the system with opponents instantly knowing what they are coming up against when they face Tottenham. Now with Stellini as acting head coach following Conte's exit at the end of March, the 48-year-old elected against switching things up and stamping his own mark on the team and opted for 3-4-3 as expected.
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That changed early in the second half against Bournemouth, though, with Arnaut Danjuma coming on to replace Davinson Sanchez in the side as they chased the game. Now having an extra attacker on the field, Pedro Perro and Ivan Perisic reverted to playing as full-backs rather than wing-backs but they still had the opportunity to push upfield.
Not forcing an equaliser until the 88th minute through Danjuma, Spurs' search for a goal had seen Richarlison also sent on as Stellini added another attacker to the mix. Oliver Skipp was the player sacrificed and it resulted in Harry Kane dropping deeper and playing in midfield with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
Tottenham's cavalier approach did open up gaps for Bournemouth, and the visitors duly took advantage as Dango Ouattara secured all three points with a brilliant finish after cutting inside and curling the ball beyond Hugo Lloris. Now needing a win to get back on track after an almighty setback against Bournemouth, Spurs have the small matter of travelling to fellow top-four contenders Newcastle United in their next fixture.
That leaves Stellini with a big call to make in terms of his team, especially with Clement Lenglet sustaining an injury in the first half of the Bournemouth defeat. While supporters would perhaps like the acting head coach to persist with the back four that finished the game against the Cherries, that may not be possible at all unless there is good news on the injury front ahead of this weekend's game on Tyneside.
Currently without left-sided players Ben Davies and Ryan Sessegnon, the return of one of the duo could see them operate at left-back providing of course that they are in a position to start the game. Emerson Royal has also played from the left on a couple of occasions but the Brazil international's absence through injury rather limits Stellini in terms of his choice.
Although Perisic, who is the only natural left-sided player fit at present, did finish the game playing as a left-back, he is not a natural in that role as he is very attack-minded due to spending the vast majority of his career further upfield. Handing him a start there for the full 90 minutes would be a huge gamble by Stellini in such a big game for the Lilywhites, especially if he is to come face-to-face with Miguel Almiron after the Newcastle man made his return from injury at Villa Park at the weekend.
Perisic has had his struggles since swapping Inter Milan for Tottenham last summer despite chalking up 11 assists. His display against Bournemouth was most definitely one of his best since his switch and Spurs will be wanting more of the same from the player down the left once again.
If Stellini does want to persist with a back four instead of reverting to his usual setup, one wildcard option for him would be to play Japhet Tanganga there as he has been used as a left-back, mainly by Jose Mourinho, four times in his Tottenham career. The current injury situation really does leave the Spurs boss with very little to choose from at left-back and he may have no other option but to persist with a 3-5-2.
Getting a glimpse of a more attacking formation against Bournemouth, Tottenham fans will be hoping that it is not the last time they see it this season as they look for some positives in what remains of the 2022/23 campaign.
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