Ryan Mason must decide whether to switch back to his formation of choice as Tottenham host Crystal Palace on Sunday in the Premier League.
The 31-year-old acting Spurs head coach has got his team creating chances and scoring goals with five netted in his two matches in charge, but the team has also conceded six at the other end and he will need to plug that gap if he is to match his record from two years ago when he took caretaker charge as a 29-year-old and won four of his six Premier League games.
Mason will also want to press his own claims to be considered for the full-time job as chairman Daniel Levy looks for the next Tottenham manager.
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football.london asked the young coach on Friday whether with Ben Davies now fully fit he was tempted to return to the back four he preferred in 2021 as a disciple of the Mauricio Pochettino way.
"I am not sure. We are training this afternoon so we have got some decisions to make," he said. "Ultimately for us it is a collective to try to keep clean sheets and win games of football. Systems and formations, yeah they can help and can change some things but the desire of the 11 players on the pitch to have a common goal and work together is probably the most important thing."
With Pedro Porro not a natural right-back, Mason could utilise the back four system Jose Mourinho used which employed the right-back - then Serge Aurier - in a higher position up the pitch and in possession Spurs would switch to three at the back with Davies stepping inside.
Eric Dier had another day to forget in the backline but it will be a big test for Mason to drop one of his more experienced players, despite Clement Lenglet being ready in the wings and waiting to come in.
Oliver Skipp played well in midfield at Liverpool before that nasty cut to his head after Diogo Jota's high challenge but Mason suggested on Friday that he is fit again to play.
If Mason does go with a back four then the in-form Ivan Perisic would likely push up to the left of the three behind the striker in a 4-2-3-1, which would mean Son Heung-min either playing just behind Harry Kane, or the other way around, or the South Korean switching to the right.
The other option is a fluid 4-4-2 with Kane partnered by Son or Richarlison up front, following the Brazilian's first Premier League goal of the season.
Here is the team we reckon Mason might go for:
4-2-3-1: Forster; Porro, Romero, Dier, Davies; Skipp, Hojbjerg; Son, Richarlison, Perisic; Kane.
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