Mauricio Pochettino has been a manager long enough now he knows what to expect, and what to hope for, from pre-season. His Tottenham Hotspur side’s 2-1 loss to Juventus in an International Champions Cup fixture in Melbourne, Australia, went just about to type.
“We will try to improve in all the areas we need to improve and to see what we do, not to see the teams in front of us,” he told Tottenham’s official website ahead of Tuesday’s match.
“The most important thing in these games is for us to improve our physical condition and to arrive in the best condition for the start of the season against Everton in August.”
Juventus were Spurs’ fourth opponent of the summer but their first not behind closed doors. The result was not too important, but those playing will have been well aware chances to impress are running out.
Faces new and old were handed opportunities to make those improvements with involvement in the Premier League’s opening weekend in mind. It was a mixed night for both groups, though understandably, the performances of the new—recent signings and untested academy talent—were of most interest on this occasion.
Described by Pochettino to the club’s website as “a perfect player for us,” Tottenham’s first summer 2016 signing Victor Wanyama may need to be close to that if he is to break into the club’s enviable midfield with any regularity.
Dele Alli, as well as the more likely chief central midfield rivals for playing time—Mousa Dembele and Eric Dier—have not yet returned from their extended post-Euro 2016 breaks. Tasked with helping his defence deal with talents such as Paulo Dybala and Miralem Pjanic, this was an ideal test for Wanyama to show his comparative credentials in a Spurs shirt.
Overall, the Kenyan should be pleased with this public introduction to his new fans.
In a timid first-half showing from his new team-mates, the former Southampton player was Spurs’ most assured performer. In a more improved, substitute-augmented second, he was just as keen.
Individually, Wanyama started as he intended to go on. In his first contribution, he beat a threatening Mario Lemina to the ball, shielded it and won a free-kick.
There was little he could do about either Dybala or Medhi Benatia’s goals—a swift break for the first, poor marking following a corner for the second—but thereafter did his best to provide a protective presence for young centre-backs Dominic Ball and Cameron Carter-Vickers.
Albeit aided by Juventus easing off somewhat, Wanyama also began seeing plenty of the ball. He made helpful angles for others and accurately spread play around as Spurs started to go somewhere.
The second-half tackle that led to Erik Lamela’s goal was typical of the calculated assertiveness Wanyama attempted to show. Pochettino will certainly like more of that heading into the season.
It proved a tougher night for Wanyama’s fellow new recruit Vincent Janssen.
Like the midfielder, Janssen was able to stake his own claim for playing time with last season’s top scorer Harry Kane still away. The two forwards may end up being used in conjunction regardless, but demonstrating his capabilities leading the line solo was not going to hurt.
The Dutchman lived up to Pochettino’s billing, again per Tottenham’s website, of a player “that likes to fight and work for the team.” There was little to fault with his intent throughout.
He looked to play on the shoulder when an opening beckoned and presented himself deeper when it did not, teeing up Lamela for a good chance. Earlier on, he ran to the left-hand channel to give an option for left-back William Miller and was also quick to get into the area anticipating crosses from Tom Carroll.
One of Janssen’s final contributions before being replaced with Shayon Harrison was to close down Juventus’ goalkeeper Neto. He was not far from catching him out.
Unfortunately, little actually stuck for the 22-year-old.
The other first-half starters were less eager to offer support than he was, while throughout, his touch deserted him under pressure from Juve’s nearby defenders.
Janssen will hope to give a better account of himself against Atletico Madrid on Friday. Work as hard as he did here and things should go right for him soon enough.
Three-quarters of Tuesday night’s starting defence, Ball, Carter-Vickers and Miller, have been at Tottenham longer than Janssen and Wanyama, but this was a new experience for them all, too.
Youth-team football is one thing, being out on loan (in Ball’s case, with Cambridge United and Rangers) another. Playing for the first team of the club where you learned your trade is a whole different kind of pressure.
The three youngsters handled it with varying success against the famous Old Lady of Turin.
The multi-talented Miller got down his left flank with increasing confidence as the first half developed. It was the full-back’s slotted pass that set up Carroll for one of the earlier-mentioned crosses for Janssen, while he also continued to provide an outlet for those deployed centrally.
Further back, he stopped Lemina on one occasion and did just enough to slow Pol Lirola on another. Some of the 20-year-old’s passing was a little off, though, and he will be disappointed at inadvertently contributing to Juventus’ opener.
Ball, also 20, will be more mortified by it.
He looked like he had Miller’s errant pass backward under control. Unfortunately, Roberto Pereyra pounced on his hesitation, beat the challenge of Carter-Vickers and teed up Dybala to score.
Of the centre-backs, it was Carter-Vickers, two years younger, who looked more assured.
They switched after a time, but Ball continued to look nervous when required to intervene. Carter-Vickers had his iffy moments, too, but he also fared better against Dybala in isolation and by the latter stages looked to be enjoying himself more (it is looking like no coincidence Pochettino had him as part of some matchday squads last season).
The second-half saw Marcus Edwards, Harrison, Anton Walkes and, later on, Luke Amos all called on, too.
With Tottenham already behind, theirs was a different sort of learning experience to their youth-team peers. The half-time substitutes had already injected some life into the performance; any sort of positivity to their work would be measured as further improvement.
Beyond what they brought to the match itself, their efforts will also have strengthened some of the hopes around their first-team viability.
England youth international Edwards’ Spurs future was uncertain earlier this year with the Guardian’s David Hytner reporting a contract “stand-off” with the club. Now handed a closer look from Pochettino in the senior squad, he followed up his assist for Harrison and goal against Rotherham with an encouraging half-hour against the more formidable Juventus.
Barged off the ball by Alex Sandro on his first touch, the 17-year-old was better prepared thereafter. He did not shy from attempting the penetrative dribbles that make him such an eye-catching talent, but he also smartly judged when he was better served handing it off to others (no small thing when you consider the time it took someone like Lamela to learn it upon his arrival in England).
On the 76th minute, Edwards made a particularly good run down the middle for DeAndre Yedlin. Slightly behind him, he could not quite bring the delivery under control, but the thinking was impressive.
Harrison is another player with an appreciation for the benefits of movement. Like Janssen, he has an admirable work ethic, too.
Both were seen from the off when he dropped into his own half to help Spurs maintain possession before moving it on via Walkes and Edwards; the latter again later when he chased one pass admirably down the right flank, the former in the forward runs that twice facilitated chances for Lamela.
Harrison benefited from fortunate, unintentional (in their delivery, not necessarily their target) touches both times. But they were also moments that stressed the general striker’s belief that being in the right position can lead to something happening.
Harrison’s seeming adherence to it almost paid off in stoppage time when a leftward diagonal run allowed Lamela to play him in. The 19-year-old let it run across him and forced a save from Neto with an outstretched shot.
Amos and Walkes experienced more low-key respective outings. That is no bad thing at this stage in their development, though, giving them a nice little confidence boost ahead of what they hope will be more substantial opportunities.
Though it will not be easy getting to be involved in the first team, at this stage they have the right to look forward. For others representing Spurs in Australia, they are already there, looking to maintain their status or just keep their hopes of playing for the club alive.
Nacer Chadli and Ryan Mason both finished last season in underwhelming fashion and did not do their cases much good here. Carroll and Yedlin were much livelier, interested even, but could still do with being more productive moving forward.
Kieran Trippier and Michel Vorm were adequate, Heung-Min Son energetic closing down but not really effective (he may have one eye on the Olympics Games tournament with South Korea). Lamela played like he looks set to carry on where he left off in a strong 2015-16, while youngsters Josh Onomah and Harry Winks looked very comfortable following their greater first-team involvement last season.
Upcoming games against Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan should give us more of an insight to the overall strength of Pochettino’s Tottenham heading into the season. Not a crystal clear one, but a decent enough look at what he may have in mind and who is looking in good shape.
The new faces played the familiar beats of their roles in the Argentinian’s team. It is up to them now to earn their shot at becoming proficient enough that they may become more prominent performers.
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