Tottenham may turn to Troy Parrott to improve their recent form
To date, Tottenham have gone to great lengths not to put too much pressure on Troy Parrott. That may change when International Break is over.
Throwing a 17-year-old striker into the fire of Premier League play might seem like madness to some managers. Mauricio Pochettino might be just desperate enough to try it. Tottenham could look to hand meaningful playing time to Troy Parrott once the team returns from International Break.
Parrott hasn’t played a minute of Premier League football in his career. He made his senior debut for Spurs in their disastrous cup match at Colchester United, but the Irishman certainly wasn’t at fault for his team’s horrid performance. The young striker’s performance for Tottenham during the preseason generated a lot of excitement among the team’s passionate fan base.
Obviously, his preseason efforts didn’t result in Pochettino trusting him in any Premier League action. Things have changed now though. Spurs can no longer legitimately think of themselves as title contenders. Instead, Pochettino’s goal needs to be creating some momentum at the club that can pay off in another top-four finish.
One of the simplest tactics available to Pochettino at the moment is to play more youth. It’s clear that quite a few veteran members of his squad lack the energy to press and harass the opposition. Those were staples of Pochettino’s early Tottenham teams and it’s very likely he’ll try to revert back to those tactics now to jump-start his team.
Another way for Pochettino to take pressure off his squad is to grab early leads. One way to do that would be to provide Harry Kane more support at the forward position. Parrott happens to be the only classic No. 9 readily available to the Argentine gaffer. He may not be ready to lead the line by himself, but his clever movement could make him an ideal partner for Kane.
None of this means that Parrott is going to suddenly become a regular member of the club’s starting XI. Pochettino should look for match-ups that might lend themselves towards starting two natural centre forwards. The combination of Kane and Parrott could take a lot of pressure off Tottenham by grabbing early leads in those fixtures.
When Spurs return from International Break they should expect to see some significant changes by Pochettino. Don’t be at all surprised if an increased role for Parrott is part of the manager’s plans. It’s time for a youth movement at Tottenham and he may be the most talented player in the Academy at the moment.