Tottenham have struggled for consistency under Jose Mourinho this season, with three wins, one draw and three losses suffered over the course of their past seven matches in the Premier League.
Spurs have Manchester City next but based on how the team has been shaped throughout the campaign, it is reasonable to suggest that Mourinho has been working towards an idea which could be presented in the coming weeks.
4-2-3-1 has been the formation of choice for the Portuguese throughout the campaign, with Tanguy Ndombele operating as a no.10 ahead of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Moussa Sissoko more often than not.
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Dele Alli, meanwhile, has been frozen out with the Spurs boss seemingly sending a message to the 24 year-old that he’s not a guaranteed starter and improvements must be made.
Dele has accumulated just 10 minutes on the pitch in the Premier League since December, but according to reports, Mourinho and the English midfielder recently had a productive conversation regarding his involvement.
He’s not featured much since those clear-the-air talks as a result of injury, but there is reason to suggest that Mourinho is beginning to free up a space for him ahead of the business end of the season.
Ndombele has recently dropped back to form part of a midfield two with Hojbjerg, with Lucas Moura occupying the no.10 slot.
While Moura has appeared of late, he has not seemed an essential part of Mourinho’s plans and it is possible that once Dele has regained full fitness, he will regain his no.10 place in the team with Ndombele behind him.
With Ndombele deployed deeper and able to feed not only Harry Kane and Son Heung-min ahead of him, but Dele too, Spurs’ system should pose more of a threat in attacking areas, particularly when counter-attacking situations emerge.
While Dele has been learning from the silent treatment behind the scenes, Ndombele has established himself as an integral member of Mourinho’s best eleven, while also regaining full fitness – which he struggled for last season – and getting to grips with what is expected of him defensively.
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