Why Tottenham shouldn't (and won't) fear Borussia Dortmund

The UEFA Europa League has often been heralded as the younger, neglected brother of the Champions League. Weakened line-ups, lacklustre ties and teams that wouldn’t look out of place in The Chronicles of Narnia have seen its reputation plummet since it’s 2009 rebrand from the UEFA Cup.

Spurs fans know this more than anyone. A regular fixture in the competition for the last five years, Tottenham have been around the block in Europe on Thursday nights more times than they’d like to remember. Trips to the likes of Sheriff Tiraspol of Moldova and Qarabag of Azerbaijan coupled with blood-boiling performances against Benfica and Basel has given the White Hart Lane faithful plenty of reason not to love the competition.

So, you can forgive Tottenham fans for being a little over-excited at the prospect of facing European powerhouse Borussia Dortmund.

The round of 16 draw pits arguably the two best sides left in this season’s Europa League against each other. Mauricio Pochettino continues to work miracles in North London as his lilywhites build up a title challenge, whilst Thomas Tuchel has restored order at Signal Iduna Park, with his BVB side having all but guaranteed a top-two finish in the Bundesliga.

Both managers share similar philosophies; they expect a relentless work ethic, with play beginning from the back and a utilising high pressing system. Tuchel has been talking highly of Pochettino, calling him a “special coach”.  The Argentine will most likely return the compliment in due course, but he won’t let it affect his preparations – everyone at the club knows they can knock out Borussia Dortmund.

Those reading this who aren’t Spurs fans will be probably be scoffing – it’s probably why you clicked the link to this article. The problem is, people still perceive Tottenham Hotspur as the team that is a universal let-down and internally combusts in accordance with the universe’s script.

Or, as I liked to call them, the footballing equivalent of Wile E. Coyote.

The infamous “Lads, it’s Tottenham” quote still does the rounds on social media, but it’s time outsiders recognise that there is something special going on at White Hart Lane.

If beating Manchester City in their own backyard didn’t make people sit up and notice, then beating the 2013 Champions League finalists over two legs will.

But why and how can Spurs topple the Yellow Wall?

NO TEAM HAS OUTPLAYED TOTTENHAM THIS SEASON

A point that sounds either too simple to Spurs fans, but too stupid for others. Hear me out, though. Tottenham have lost just six times all season, and are yet to lose by more than one goal. However, Pochettino’s side have never been outclassed, even against top opposition. The win at the Etihad Stadium a couple of weeks ago is testament to that, and performances against Arsenal, Fiorentina and even against City at White Hart Lane show that Tottenham mean business. Goals conceded are either created by a moment of brilliance or a rare blip in concentration from one player, but no team can boast that they've given Spurs a footballing masterclass so far this season.

TOTTENHAM FORCE ERRORS OUT OF OPPONENTS, WHILST DORTMUND ARE PRONE TO CONCEDING THEM

One of the prominent characteristics of this new Tottenham side is their ability to pressurise the opposition into making mistakes. Playing Spurs is incredibly suffocating, and Borussia Dortmund have a habit of succumbing to such errors.

'Keeper Roman Burki receives the ball vs FC Koln under pressure

His pass is wayward, and Dortmund are caught high up the pitch

Koln equalise with under 10 minutes remaining

Dortmund are pressed high again, this time in stoppage time

The clearance is poor and easily intercepted

The interception is missed, with Anthony Modeste already making the run in behind the defence

The errors are costly and Dortmund lose 2-1

Sokratis loses the battle with Leroy Sane, and Schalke are allowed to equalise

There's no immediate danger...

Until this interception is missed

Schalke are able to pounce and score

The ball is played back to Burki

His pass is a poor one, and Dortmund are caught

TOTTENHAM HAVE BECOME SOLID DEFENSIVELY

From the 4^th worst defensive record in the Premier League to the 5^th best in Europe, Tottenham’s drastic changes at the back have been unprecedented. The signing of Toby Alderweireld is without a doubt one of the best of the season, and even though his compatriot Jan Vertonghen will miss both legs, Kevin Wimmer has proved to be quite the deputy. A selection of four eager and talented full backs has helped with rotation, and you can guarantee that whoever starts will be fresh for the fight. Having Eric Dier blanket the the back four and sometimes even shuffle back into defence has too proven to be effective, and his presence in midfield alongside Mousa Dembele has ensured Spurs win nearly every physical battle possible.

THE TEAM ISN’T RELIANT ON INDIVIDUALS

For the first time in a long time, the most important aspect of a Tottenham side is their work ethic. Whilst the squad is full of talented players, no one is irreplaceable. Thursday’s showing against Fiorentina proved that Spurs are able to mix it with tough opposition without supposed key players; Harry Kane, Mousa Dembele and Jan Vertonghen all contribute to Tottenham’s spine, but the performance was unaffected. Even if such players aren’t available for the tie, Pochettino has a squad he can trust, and replacing them shouldn’t be a problem.

TEAM SPIRIT, BELIEF AND RESILIENCE

Now obviously these things alone won’t see Tottenham conquer Borussia Dortmund, but the togetherness about this Spurs time is unlike any other in recent history. The close friendships between the likes of Dele Alli & Eric Dier, and Christian Eriksen & Erik Lamela portray the feel-good factor about Hotspur Way. Danny Rose and Ben Davies both speak highly of each other, and say competition for the left-back spot is important. The team no longer has passengers; you either put in 110%, or you’re out the door (see: Emmanuel Adebayor, Etienne Capoue, Aaron Lennon, Paulinho). Spurs have also recovered 14 points from losing positions in the Premier League, more than any other side (via @SpursStatMan), which is huge considering Tottenham’s reputation for being soft.

Ryan Mason was quoted in the Guardian saying how the team is relishing every game, and it’s a sentiment echoed by the fans. This Tottenham team can go a long way, and the tie with Borussia Dortmund is perfect for testing their Champions League credentials.


Special thanks to Lee Tomlinson for assistance with some sources

Follow me on Twitter: @SeanWalsh_97

The Ruins and Rebuilding of English Football

The English. Revolutionary. Modern. Proud. Brave.

Rubbish at football.

Let’s face facts; this country’s ability to put a size five ball into a goal has been on the decline ever since the so-called ‘Golden Generation’ of the mid-2000s wrote itself into history’s great “What If” chapters.

Tactically, that England side wasn’t good enough to go toe-to-toe with the likes of Italy, France or Germany, despite matching and even bettering them man-for-man. In the last ten years though, we’ve grown weaker in both aspects.

Try and think of the last time you genuinely enjoyed watching England.

Hard, isn’t it?

The decline is usually swept under the rug until international tournaments roll around, where people inevitably go back on their claims that this will be England’s year, yet state they knew we would fail all along.

So where does the problem lay?

Many people were aggrieved that Sven-Goran Eriksson never managed to achieve anything major considering the weapons in his arsenal whilst leading the Three Lions, and since then, the already xenophobic culture in the country’s football has manifested into a serious, repressed problem.

Age-old philosophies and clichés continue to rule English football, and that’s ironically the result of this country’s sole success story – glory at the 1966 FIFA World Cup.

Esteemed writer and pundit Raphael Honigstein wrote in Englisher Fussball that the “lesson learnt from (Alf Ramsey’s) success was that exceptional work-rate, team understanding and defensive impenetrability could overcome more skilful but less effective foreign sides”.

In layman’s terms, hard work triumphed over skill once, and it killed English football (for another great article on this subject, check out my friend Billy’s piece on the national game and predicting the mainstream rise of Mesut Ozil - https://tikitakatriangles.wordpress.com/2015/08/12/ozil-the-media-and-tackling-why-england-sucks-at-football).

Your average England supporter demands the manager to play 4-4-2 with speedy wingers, ball winners, and towering strikers. Ignore the evolution of the game on the continent though, as that stuff is for pansies and goes against your duty for Queen and country.

So for fifty years whilst the rest of the world has been winning trophies and revolutionising the game, England have been stuck with a stubborn finger firmly lodged in it’s anus trying to figure out why they aren’t joining the party.

Matters aren’t really made much better when we're currently led by Roy Hodgson.

Possibly the least inspiring man in football, Hodgson has never managed to get me out of my seat watching his team. His lies about picking players regardless of how big their club is irk me to no end, and the only reason he doesn’t play 4-4-2 is because of the lack of options for that system (I distinctly remember him playing Ashley Young up front at Euro 2012).

The worst part is that England genuinely have some good, exciting players, but he still manages to get them playing like a team mid-table in League 1.

We’ll unfortunately be lumbered with Hodgson until after Euro 2016 (at least), but his departure needs to kick start a new era of English football.

But who will come in and lead this country out of the wilderness?

Don’t kill me, but I think it should be this man…

This isn’t a joke, so hear me out.

Forget the David Brent mannerisms and dodgy dealings, and Brendan Rodgers is a good manager. Whilst his greatest team (Liverpool 2013/14) was largely attributed to the work of Luis Suarez, the system he implemented was devastating and it made that Liverpool side one of the most exciting teams I’ve ever seen.

Suarez told Squawka of his appreciation of Rodgers and praised him for Liverpool’s rise during his time at Anfield.

“When Brendan was appointed, I was excited. I’d actually spoken to him when he was at Swansea in Spanish, which I thought was a good touch. He was familiar with the Spanish way of playing, as he’d studied there.

“He was very clever and told me that Liverpool would play possession football, as it would suit me. He helped me with my runs, arriving in the area at the right time and coming in from wide – rather than just waiting in the middle – which benefited my confidence.

“Liverpool played a slower, more possession based game which suited me. We had a Spanish-style passing midfield, with the likes of Joe Allen and Jordan Henderson developing very fast”.

When he has the right players, Rodgers can create art. The beauty of international football is that he will be nowhere near a transfer committee.

I touched on the xenophobic culture England lives in footballing-wise, and it needs to be nipped in the bud before it becomes an irreversible effect of a contaminated population.

It’s okay to trust and believe in foreign ideologies, to explore different cultures in football. Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing and expecting different results – by that logic, this country should just be converted into the world’s largest mental hospital.

Rodgers retired from football aged 20, and never played anywhere near the top level. However, he became a student of the game, travelling through Spain and learning it’s footballing philosophies. Eventually, this led to being personally plucked by Jose Mourinho to lead Chelsea’s academy.

Behind Rodgers’s weird, repelling outer shell is a potential footballing genius.

We’re starting to see the dawn of a new generation of English player; one that is able and determined to compete alongside the skilful and tactically gifted players from abroad.

John Stones, Luke Shaw, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Eric Dier, Dele Alli, Raheem Sterling, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jordan Ibe, Harry Kane – this country isn’t short of young talent.

A blueprint for success on the field isn’t actually that hard to conjure up, but what about off the field? How do we persuade the masses that it’s time to start from scratch?

In an ideal world, common sense would shine through, but that’s merely a pipedream.

Plan B then; we need better footballing education, and that comes through our pundits.

For some reason, Sky continue to employ the likes of Jamie Redknapp and Graeme Souness to give their ‘expert’ opinions on football is beyond me.

https://vine.co/v/O9YKz5qMxuu

Over on BT Sport, contrasting to the brilliant European Football Show is Saturday morning’s Flecth & Sav. Darren Fletcher I don’t mind, he’s just casting the role as presenter, but his idiotic partner in Robbie Savage should be nowhere near a football programme.

Each week, he spouts the most mindless, inane garbage, and it unfortunately catches on with some of the British public – John Terry rightfully criticised Savage recently, and hopefully this begins his demise from our TV screens.

Even Gary Neville, who is by far one of the best pundits this country has ever seen, has his flaws. Two decades of playing under one manager has made him oblivious to the benefits of other cultures, and this resonates through some of his minor beliefs.

Whilst his partner Jamie Carragher isn’t perfect, he at least played under the guidance of several continental coaches, learning certain concepts along the way.

Frank Lampard's guest appearance on Monday Night Football showed his own tactical insightfulness, and hopefully he'll have a place on television once his spell in the United States is over.

There’s also a budding generation of writers coming through too, studying foreign leagues and opening themselves up to new ideas. Hopefully they receive their rightful exposure in the future. For the meantime, give some of them a follow on Twitter:

@BilbertoSilva

@tlmfootball

@craigvickers_

@HarryCFC_

@FullPitchPress

@HugoNotLloris
@GaffneyVLC

England has the potential to be a footballing powerhouse once again, but it must adapt if it’s survive.