Tottenham Hotspur have added two top-quality recruits to their squad during this transfer window and the focus of pre-season preparations now switches to the pitch. 

Victor Wanyama has joined from Southampton, and Vincent Janssen from Eredivisie club AZ Alkmaar; both will now be thrust immediately into first-team consideration. 

Spurs have three warm-up matches scheduled against high-calibre opposition before their domestic campaign gets underway on August 13 at Everton. First, Juventus and Atletico Madrid are the opposition in a whirlwind tour of Australia before a match against Inter Milan in Norway wraps things up. 

In contrast to the schedules under previous Tottenham managers, Pochettino‘s pre-seasons are relatively sparse. A tour of America—organised before his appointment in 2014—is the sole exception as both of the last two campaigns have seen only three matches. 

Harry Kane was evidently fatigued by the end of last season and struggled to reach his customary excellence in the final month. He was similarly ineffectual on England duty at the 2016 UEFA European Championship in France. Pochettino prioritises fitness and physical preparation and, with that in mind, the 22-year-old is unlikely to be immediately involved in Spurs’ pre-season activities. 

While young forwards Kazaiah Sterling and Shayon Harrison will be with the first team and should get opportunities to show their quality, Vincent Janssen is the man to watch in pre-season. 

The Dutchman will have immediate chances to show his quality given the number of Spurs players still recuperating from their exertions in summer tournaments. Juventus and Atletico possess two of Europe’s meanest defences and, while both are in an earlier stage of their pre-season than Spurs, they will present useful tests for Janssen.

Per the official Tottenham website, Pochettino hailed Janssen‘s “perfect profile,” explaining that he “has quality in the box and he’s a striker that likes to fight and work for the team. That is perfect for us.”

The key to Janssen‘s success will ultimately be his ability to score goals, but that is more of a long-term concern. Aged just 22 and making a significant step up in terms of opposition, the Netherlands international may take time to find his best form. This pre-season will be about learning Pochettino‘s system and showing that he can ape Kane’s rounded contribution. 

Last season, Kane failed to score in the opening six games. While the media inveighed against the supposed “one-season wonder,” few close observers were concerned as the England international continued to excel in his other roles. He led the pressing with aggression and intelligence, held the ball well to incorporate his team-mates and continued to take up the right positions. 

That is what Janssen must show in this pre-season and what will determine his success or failure at the club. 

Relatively little of certainty can be taken from pre-season results. Spurs famously battered AS Roma 5-0 and Borussia Dortmund 3-0 in their final warm-up matches before going winless through the opening eight games in Juande Ramos’ final season. 

However, the speed with which Janssen is incorporated into Spurs’ system will be instructive, as will Pochettino‘s willingness to experiment with two forwards. Last season, Eric Dier’s move into midfield was sealed by a 45-minute experiment in pre-season, according to Matt Law of the Telegraph. 

While it seems unlikely that the Argentinian will change his system dramatically enough to feature two centre-forwards, it is a possibility. 

Evolution is key for Pochettino‘s team. In his first season, elements of the cohesion and aggression that defined his Southampton side began to emerge but only in his second did those become the default.

With his third year at White Hart Lane on the horizon, Pochettino will aim to further inculcate his squad with his philosophy, and any players that fail to fit into their role will be rapidly sidelined. Janssen must avoid that fate or his Spurs career will be over before it begins.

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