Let Them Have Possession – Tottenham Approach Picked Apart By Ex-Midfielder | OneFootball

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Former Liverpool midfielder Jay Spearing says that teams allowing Tottenham Hotspur to enjoy possession is something that is beneficial, given their lack of a consistent end product.

Spurs travelled to Merseyside to face Liverpool in the EFL Cup on Tuesday night, but saw their campaign come to an end as Andoni Iraola’s side ran out 3-1 winners to send them crashing out of the competition.

The Lilywhites had the edge in terms of possession, total shots, efforts on target and shots inside the box.

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However, Spurs’ only goal of the night came from a corner, with Conor Gallagher converting from close range.

It was their first goal against Premier League opposition this season, having failed to find the net in the league across their opening four games.

Spearing is of the view that Tottenham’s dominance of the ball in recent matches has not always been matched by a meaningful threat in the final third.

He explained that allowing Spurs to enjoy possession can create opportunities for opponents to press, win the ball back and exploit their struggles to turn possession into end product.

The 37-year-old also highlighted the frustration that can spread through the fans when the London side break forward, but opt to turn back and recycle possession rather than carry on with the attack.

Spearing said on LFC TV (26:21): “I think Tottenham probably would have, if you look at their last couple of games, they probably have a lot of possession.

“But they don’t have a real end product with it.

“So it’s a bit of a catch-22.

“You probably let them have a bit of possession because you kind of want them to, so you can press them and win it back.

“And they’ll get their moments when they go forward, and you’ll see the crowd are getting quite unsettled, and they do break through, they just turn back and want to play again, and you can see the frustration.”

Tottenham have an opportunity to change the narrative this weekend when they welcome Aston Villa to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Unai Emery’s side also still searching for their first win after three defeats and a draw.

De Zerbi was heavily backed in the transfer market, with Savio and Omar Marmoush arriving from Manchester City, and the Spurs boss has stressed that both players must adapt to carrying greater responsibility as protagonists for the London club.

Sitting 17th and now out of the EFL Cup, Spurs have fewer distractions on their schedule and will be looking to finally get off the mark in the Premier League and begin turning their campaign around.