Tottenham news: Pochettino hints at dropping Eriksen v Watford
Tottenham desperately need a win against Watford
There’s no question Mauricio Pochettino’s squad desperately needs a win against Watford this weekend. Ordinarily, that would necessitate starting Christian Eriksen in the middle of his Spurs attack.
Don’t be shocked if the Danish maestro starts this match against the Hornets on the substitute’s bench. His manager admits that his physical fitness is off the charts, but he could be suffering from mental fatigue after playing so much football this season.
Remember, Eriksen hasn’t just been dealing with Premier League football. He’s been involved in all of Spurs’ Champions League matches as well. You can be sure that topping Dortmund and Real Madrid in the so-called “Group of Death” took its toll on Eriksen’s footballing brain.
If that wasn’t enough, the classy midfielder also hauled his country into the World Cup. Ireland fans would like to forget his epic hat trick that put Denmark through, but it’s a match he’ll never forget. While he certainly experienced euphoria this season with his country, it’s hard to calculate how much mental stress his nation placed on him.
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Add it all up and it’s understandable that Eriksen might need a match or two to clear his mind. The challenge for Spurs is that they really don’t have another number ten who can replace his creativity in the lineup. Eventually Erik Lamela might build up enough fitness to serve as that alternative, but asking him to start against Watford would be quite ambitious from the perspective of the club’s medical staff.
One intriguing idea against Watford would be to allow Harry Kane to slide back and play that role. Spurs could opt to start their talisman in a slightly recessed role. Most would assume that would place Fernando Llorente in the starting XI, but I’m not so sure. Pochettino may opt to insert Son Heung-Min to play on the back shoulder of Watford’s back line.
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Even if Eriksen does start the match, Pochettino would be wise to try to simplify his duties a bit. That might heap more pressure on Dele Alli, but the Englishman seems to be at his best when he has pressure piled on him. Tottenham certainly have enough of that to go around at the moment.