Shutout Focus: Pragmatism Emerging as Key for Spurs
Overpowering the opposition was the approach at Spurs last campaign but now the emphasis is on keeping out goals at the other end of the field.
Midweek's narrow win against their European opponents in Spurs' European debut was the fourth clean sheet they had secured in the first five games so far.
In contrast, they had recorded just one solitary at the equivalent stage of last term, when the more forward-thinking Ange Postecoglou was in command.
“We discussed a lot about 'shutout mentality' this year because we let in a lot last year,” the club midfielder one of the stars stated.
Center-back Van de Ven commented: “I think we are a tough team to play against, for sure. Tactically we are standing really good and we all know what to do, so we're a hard team to beat.”
The strategy of Tottenham against their opponents was in clear contrast to the swashbuckling football played with the previous regime.
They were much more cautious, even after being handed a fourth-minute opener thanks to a calamitous mistake by Villarreal goalkeeper their number one.
Tighter Backline but at an Goal-Scoring Cost?
Spurs have allowed a single goal this season - in the one-nil loss to their Premier League rivals.
That is a big improvement on how they kicked off the last campaign, when they let in five goals in their first five games.
In the domestic league they have kept three clean sheets already - meaning they are just a couple short from replicating their total for the whole of last season.
The more stable platform is potentially coming at a cost, however, with their single effort on target against the La Liga side the another instance in their last three games they had managed so few efforts on goal.
The head coach acknowledges this is an area that has to improve.
“We have a very good platform to stand on in terms of our defensive structure and I think it's solid and we gave little away,” he said.
“We are in the UCL against a strong team. Moreover, I knew we took a stride against the Hammers, offensively is the area we need to enhance.”
