August 8th 2015, Saturday. The Premier League returns to action after the summer break for the start of a new season, where one hopes for the best from the club they support. Year after year, history is made and come the mid of May, the name of one club is etched on to the leader boards as the Champion of the domestic season.
Tottenham begin their 2015-16 season against Louis Van Gaal’s Manchester United at the Old Trafford. This fixture in recent times has been favourable to the Londoners as they won 2 out of the last 3 meetings on this ground, but Manchester United under Louis Van Gaal routed a clueless Spurs side the last time they made the trip to Manchester.
Pochetino and Spurs will be hoping the game isn’t as one sided as the previous fixture and fans of both sides will be hoping for a good start to the year although much will be expected from Manchester United due to their activity in the Transfer Window. So how will Tottenham line up for the opener?
Predicted Formation:- 4-2-3-1
In Goal: Michel Vorm
It was confirmed not so long ago by the club that French International and Captain, Hugo Lloris will be taking over as Club Captain after the sale of Younes Kaboul to Sunderland. Unfortunately, Hugo is just returning from a wrist injury and though he played a part in the Audi Cup fixture against AC Milan where he did pull off a few stunning saves, chances of him starting the opening fixture of Premier League remain slim according to Pochetino in his post match presser. Dutch international, Michel Vorm who is a very able back up, will step in, he is a terrific keeper but Spurs will miss the leadership qualities of Hugo Lloris along with some of the insane saves that he has pulled off in the past.
Back 4: Kyle Walker – Toby Alderweireld – Jan Vertonghen – Danny Rose
The best bit of business that Spurs conducted this summer was the signing of Belgian international Toby Alderweireld. His previous partnership with co-countryman Jan Vertonghen at Ajax and at national level will be a major plus and Spurs will be banking on the combo to stop the leaking in of goals.
Danny Rose has risen brilliantly since that disappointing season he had at Tottenham after his Sunderland loan spell. The signing of Ben Davies for competition has really helped the England international as he fought for the left back spot and has truly made it his own. His partner on the other flank will be the inconsistent Kyle Walker. Once the PFA young player of the year, Walker has lost his way since thanks to injuries and head weight.
Although with Trippier on his back, Walker will have to be at his best to be a sure starter in this Spurs side and a solid performance on Saturday will surely help the cause.
In Mid-Field: Ryan Mason – Nabil Bentaleb
The duo were solid for most of last season and have formed an excellent chemistry. I dont see Pochetino changing the combo though we’ve seen Delle Alli have some fantastic pre-season games.
Attacking 3 behind the striker: Erik Lamela – Christian Eriksen – Nacer Chadli
The trio have formed a good partnership and are comfortable in interchanging their roles according to the situation. This versatility has made them a menace for some defenses to handle and could prove to be a menace for Manchester United too. Nacer Chadli the obvious goal threat from the 3, will be the one to watch out for from the Spurs mid-field.
Striker: Harry Kane – Captain
Not one season ago, Kane was just a squad player at Tottenham. Now, he’s got capped for England, dubbed as the future of English strikers and scored 30 goals last season. Spurs will hope Kane fires goals this season and more importantly in the opener as well giving a much needed captain’s performance, inspiring the team towards the 4th Champions League spot that they have been chasing since 2012.
Chances of winning may seem slim but in football you never know.