Our Tottenham Hotspur fans here in the Transfer Tavern are hoping to start improving their standings in the league, while they currently sit in 5th behind Liverpool.

Over the past few seasons under Argentine Mauricio Pochettino, our regulars have been used to seeing Spurs become a real top-four contender, with their unique blend of hard work, exciting and forward thinking football under the former Saints boss.

He’s established over the seasons, a team full of young promising English talent, but this term they seem to be suffering in some way and a few of the players he’s placed his trust and faith in, are not repaying it with their performances on the pitches.

Pochettino has his trusted first-team regulars, who he knows, likes and trusts to play the type of football he demands from his players, however, a couple of these have let him down in the first half of the season and our landlord takes a look at a couple of the players who aren’t cutting the mustard this season and should be expected to give more…

Dele Alli

The England man has been in sparkling form over the past couple of seasons since his move from MK Dons, his stock as rose tenfold and put him firmly as one of the brightest prospects in the Premier League, if not Europe. This season has seen Alli struggle for form for the first time and he cuts a frustrated figure.

His team have to up their game around him, as he plods around the pitch not really looking like the Alli we all know and lavished with praise last season.

Alli has to level up his game in the second half of the season if he wants to reach the World Cup squad.

Fernando Llorente

Summer transfer signing Llorente hasn’t come in and aided Spurs’ attack like Pochettino must have thought. The striker has just one goal in 17 appearances, albeit, the majority have come from the bench.

In a second striker, many would expect a player of Giroud’s quality to step up to the mark when needed. Maybe the lack of regular games is playing a factor or has the Spaniard is the wrong side of 30, he may be struggling to get up to speed in Spurs’ fast pace approach.