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Why Mauricio Pochettino must plan wisely ahead of Tottenham’s move to Wembley
Tottenham Hotspur have suffered what could prove a crucial setback ahead of next season with the news that they will not be allowed to replicate White Hart Lane’s playing surface at Wembley Stadium.
Last month, reported that Mauricio Pochettino was looking at ways to improve his side’s dismal form at the national stadium, including the possibility of reducing the pitch size.
Spurs were impressive last season, particularly at home, successfully avoiding defeat at White Hart Lane throughout the ground’s final Premier League campaign. Yet, in their five matches at Wembley, (four in Europe and the FA Cup semi-final) the Lilywhites were victorious just once.
It is understandable that those closely involved with the club believe that surface dimensions played a part. In addition to being less familiar, Wembley’s pitch is 8% larger in area than that at White Hart Lane. Last season, Spurs were successful on the league’s second-smallest field – next season they face all 19 home fixtures on the largest.
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Following up from talk of altering the turf below Wembley’s famous arch, again broke the news that the desired changes would be impossible, following a meeting of the league’s 20 chairmen.
That result is the product of a rule change introduced two years ago, dictating a standard pitch size of 105m x 68m. Exceptions are allowed only when a club’s stadium prevents enlargement – Chelsea, Everton and Liverpool are among those exempt.
Whilst a bigger pitch size cannot be blamed for all of Spurs’ recent difficulties at the national stadium, (they have secured results at away grounds with varying pitch specifications) it is most certainly a factor.
Pochettino has got his young, exuberant side playing an intense high pressing game, something highlighted by their tackling success in the final third. statistics show that Spurs managed the third highest number of these tackles, whilst their players ranked 4th for average distance covered per match.
There is a strong argument that the successful philosophy of quickly closing down and hounding opponents will be damaged by the sides’ temporary relocation. Spurs’ plan-A works so well because it limits space for opponents to move the ball into, forcing them into errors and the relinquishment of possession – often deep within their own half.
Doing the same on a bigger surface, over a demanding 90 minutes, is much more difficult, there is simply more ground to cover and space for opposition to pass/move into. Over the course of a season, this could put too much strain on the Tottenham side. Having covered the 4th most distance when playing half their matches on the league’s second-smallest pitch, expect Harry Kane and co to top the kilometers-covered chart next season.
Of course, there is time for Pochettino to adapt. He has had plenty of time, including the experience of last season, to prepare his side for the change. It is unlikely that his philosophy will be ripped up. The Argentine has proven himself to be astute enough to modify plans and should be no different for this unwanted, but unavoidable scenario.
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