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Tottenham starting XI v Manchester United: Pochettino will setup to attack Mourinho

By Rucker Haringey

STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND - APRIL 07: Mauricio Pochettino of Tottenham Hotspur salutes the fans at the end of the Premier League match between Stoke City and Tottenham Hotspur at Bet365 Stadium on April 7, 2018 in Stoke on Trent, England. (Photo by Tony Marshall/Getty Images)
STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND - APRIL 07: Mauricio Pochettino of Tottenham Hotspur salutes the fans at the end of the Premier League match between Stoke City and Tottenham Hotspur at Bet365 Stadium on April 7, 2018 in Stoke on Trent, England. (Photo by Tony Marshall/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 14: Christian Eriksen of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates after scoring his sides first goal with Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on April 14, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 14: Christian Eriksen of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates after scoring his sides first goal with Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on April 14, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) /

Attacking midfielder-Dele Alli

Leaving Dele out of the squad against Brighton was a dead giveaway that he’ll feature today against United. Pochettino clearly rested him so he could put forth a momentous effort today.

The key, as usual, for Dele will be trying to pick his spots. If he tries to dribble through the entire United defence every time he touches the ball it will be disastrous for Spurs. If, instead, he’s able to focus his energies on making dangerous runs all over the pitch he will torment United’s midfield.

Attacking midfielder-Christian Eriksen

I was quite vocal about just how poor Eriksen played at Brighton. Pochettino will count on his Danish star to bounce back in a big way against United.

There’s no question Eriksen has the talent to dominate this sort of match, the question is whether or not he’s in the right frame of mind to control it. You can safely expect that Pochettino has spent a lot of time and energy this week trying to get Eriksen’s mental approach right. His play may define how well Spurs are able to attack United’s back line.

Attacking midfielder-Heung-Min Son

This is the swing position in Pochettino’s mind. He starts Erik Lamela when he wants his midfield to have a bit more toughness. He starts Son when he wants to go with more of an attacking group.

Son simply has to make his presence felt from the opening whistle. The Korean star must get on the ball and run at United defenders. When he does this, he can be an excellent attacking force. When he doesn’t, he’s a liability on the pitch.

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