Tottenham fans in the Football Transfer Tavern are still on a high from their 5-3 win over Chelsea on New Year’s Day despite Monday evening’s tame 1-1 draw at Burnley in the FA Cup.
All the confidence and momentum seems to be with Mauricio Pochettino’s side in the race for fourth place with the Argentine’s former club Southampton looking their biggest rivals for that final Champions League spot at present.
With Arsenal and Liverpool both struggling for any sort of consistency and with not many people predicting Southampton will remain in the race beyond the Easter period, Tottenham may never get a better opportunity to break into that top four.
In Harry Kane they boast the country’s most in-form striker and the feeling amongst Spurs fans is that if Pochettino can add a couple of quality additions this winter, they can really see themselves in with a shout of playing Champions League football next season.
Here we have identified a dream Tottenham starting eleven, post transfer deadline day.
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Click on Mauricio Pochettino to reveal The DREAM starting XI all Tottenham fans want by February 2nd.
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Hugo Lloris
The France captain has been consistently linked with a move away from Tottenham over the past 12 months with some reports suggesting the club will listen to offers of £25 million this winter in order to help Pochettino fund some new additions.
It is vital Tottenham hang onto Lloris until the end of the season at least with top class goalkeepers now finally getting the credit they deserve in Premier League football.
Top four rivals Liverpool and Arsenal are both struggling with their goalkeepers at present so Lloris could well prove the difference between which side achieves a top four finish come May if Tottenham retain his services.
DeAndre Yedlin, Jan Vertonghen, Federico Fazio, Ben Davies
Tottenham completed the signing of United States international DeAndre Yedlin from Seattle Sounders in the summer but he is set to join up with the squad this month following the close of the MLS season.
Yedlin proved himself to be an exciting and attacking full back during the States’ impressive World Cup campaign and could well add an extra edge to a Tottenham back four that seems to have found a winning centre back partnership in Jan Vertonghen and Federico Fazio.
Meanwhile, summer signing Ben Davies is improving all the time and will be looking to hold down a first team place ahead of Danny Rose during the second half of the season.
Morgan Schneiderlin, Ryan Mason
Pochettino failed with three bids for Morgan Schneiderlin in the summer, however reports suggest he is set to try his luck again this month.
With the Saints hoping to rival Tottenham for that final top four place, they are unlikely to entertain the idea of a sale but if Schneiderlin attempts to force through a move that would see him reunited with his former boss the way he did in the summer, the Saints may be forced to finally give in.
Schneiderlin would add an extra dimension in a midfield partnership with young Ryan Mason and would fit perfectly into Pochettino’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation.
Saido Berahino, Christian Eriksen, Erik Lamela
Tottenham have registered an interest in West Bromwich Albion forward Saido Berahino and reports today suggest new Baggies boss Tony Pulis is open to a player-plus-cash deal.
Pochettino enjoyed great success when deploying Jay Rodriguez – a natural centre forward – on the right in a 4-2-3-1 system at Southampton last season and would look to do the same with Berahino.
The England Under-21 international star gets a lot of goals from making that run in between the full back and centre back from a wide position whilst playing alongside Erik Lamela and Christian Eriksen in this formation would give him license to roam and interchange position.
Berahino would consider himself a natural centre forward but Pochettino wants players who are adaptable and hard working whilst giving himself options to move people about during matches – something the forward can offer in a similar way in which Rodriguez did at Southampton last season.
Harry Kane
Harry Kane has been one of the success stories of the 2014/15 season so far, scoring a superb total of 17 goals in all competitions at the half way point.
The homegrown forward has forced his way into the first team and looks set to stay there under Pochettino.
If Kane can continue the type of form he has shown in the second half of the season, the sky is the limit for both himself and Tottenham.
