Tottenham projected XI v Southampton: Spurs face must win match

Tottenham desperately need three points against Southampton this weekend. Here are the 11 men Mauricio Pochettino will trust to turn the club around.

There’s zero doubt that Tottenham need to find a way to scratch out a win against Southampton on Saturday. A loss or draw will only increase the sense of doom and gloom surrounding Mauricio Pochettino and his squad. The Saints should expect to face a desperate Spurs side.

The question for Pochettino is just how many changes he’s prepared to make. Anything and everything is in play for the Argentine gaffer. The natural assumption is that Tottenham will set up to attack the Saints feverishly from the opening whistle. To that end, look for Spurs to line up in a 4-3-3 in an effort to establish a high line of pressing action in this fixture. Read on to discover the 11 players Pochettino will trust to earn his club some much-needed momentum against Southampton.

Striker-Harry Kane

Kane has hit his teammates with some strong words this week. His comments are music to Pochettino’s ears. Kane needs to be named captain of the squad sooner, rather than later. Look for him to come out and play with tremendous energy in defence of his manager on Saturday.

Winger-Erik Lamela

Lamela’s propensity to harass the opposition will be a key part of Pochettino’s game plan. He’ll start out playing just to the right of Kane and he’ll chase the ball until his legs give out. The Argentine’s job will be to set a physical tone.

Winger-Son Heung-Min

Son isn’t going to provide a ton of physicality, but Tottenham will look to score early in this match as well. As usual, his runs will stretch the Saints defence and create a ton of space for his teammates.

Midfielder-Tanguy Ndombele

Ndombele may not be in ideal shape for Pochettino, but this squad needs his creative spark in the middle of the pitch. He’s perfectly suited to play in a midfield three and should see plenty of the ball.

Midfielder-Harry Winks

Winks is another player who will be asked to give Tottenham an emotional lift in this match. Like Ndombele, he’s also going to be helped by the presence of an extra body in the midfield. The Englishman will need to keep the ball moving if Southampton try to park the bus.

Midfielder-Moussa Sissoko

Sissoko will celebrate his new contract with a start this weekend. He’ll be asked to drive the ball forward into the final third with his marauding runs. The Frenchman can’t be counted on to finish the play, but he can push Spurs through the muck and the mire. That will be a valuable skill in a match that’s unlikely to resemble a fine work of art.

Left back-Danny Rose 

Ben Davies put in a listless performance at Colchester United that severely hurt his stock with Pochettino. Rose may not be perfect, but he does play with an edge that Spurs have been missing. It will be interesting to see if he comes out and lays a few harsh challenges on the Saints to raise the temperature of the encounter.

Centre back-Toby Alderweireld

Alderweireld isn’t going to put in a fiery performance for the squad, but he’s too talented to leave out. There will be a temptation to play Juan Foyth in this match, but Pochettino will save that change for another day.

Centre back-Jan Vertonghen

Vertonghen isn’t exactly in a fine run of form, but he’ll get another shot to seize this starting spot for his own. It’s possible Davinson Sanchez gets another look here, but look for Pochettino to go with the more rested option.

Right back-Serge Aurier

Kyle Walker-Peters was a relative bright spot at Colchester, but Aurier is the more rested of the two right backs. Pochettino wants more consistency out of the Ivory Coast star, and a good match against Southampton would show just that.

Keeper-Hugo Lloris

Lloris has some Spurs fans upset with his perceived lack of belief in the club’s chance to compete for trophies, but he’s still the best keeper at Pochettino’s disposal. He’ll continue to start in goal until further notice.