Tottenham Hotspur vs Sunderland: Pochettino's tyros struggle with problem of rising reputation

Sunderland aim to frustrate Spurs’ youngsters, as Newcastle and Leicester did successfully

Harry Kane was described by the Tottenham manager, Mauricio Pochettino, as “a top-class player” (Getty)

There is a downside to being the most talked-about young team in the country, as Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham Hotspur are starting to find out. Spurs’ status as title challengers, and their place in the Premier League’s top four, means opponents are starting to play against them differently, especially at White Hart Lane. Spurs are struggling to find a way round deep defences, and that needs to change this weekend.

After going unbeaten in the league for more than four months, they have now lost two of their last three home league games: 2-1 to Newcastle a month ago, 1-0 to Leicester on Wednesday night. Both teams dug in, frustrated Spurs and hit them on the break.

Sam Allardyce’s Sunderland will try to do precisely the same thing today. Spurs will have to be more imaginative and more efficient if they want to win the game.

“It is always difficult when you are on top, and the opponents come and show more respect, than if you are 10th or 12th in the table,” Pochettino said. “This is normal. We need to be ready for that and be stronger than before. We need to try to fix that and try not to repeat the same mistakes.”

This is the price of being an established favourite for Champions League football. Spurs cannot complain about this new reality, they must simply adjust. “It is realistic now that they respect us more than before,” Pochettino said. “Leicester played very deep, counter-attack and long ball. Sometimes if you don’t score early, or take advantage, then maybe from a corner you can concede a goal.”

Pochettino knows from his own playing days as an uncompromising centre-back that there are some opponents who force a change in approach. When he was playing for Espanyol, and came up against the best strikers in the world, his only concern would be stopping them.

“When you are playing against Ronaldo or Romario, your challenge is to fight with them, and you need to be ready 200 per cent, not 100 per cent,” Pochettino said. “When Harry Kane started, the opponents would say he is a youngster; now he is a top-class player. It is a big challenge for centre-backs to try to stop him. It has changed how they see us.”

The problem for Tottenham is that opponents are now attuned to Kane and increasingly able to stop him. He has started 25 of the team’s 29 games so far this season and on Wednesday evening he looked tired and isolated. Leicester’s back four forced him wide every time. Kane needed support but Son Heung-min only came on with eight minutes left. Another forward, Clinton Njié, who has yet to score for Spurs, is out for the foreseeable future after knee surgery.

What Spurs need is another experienced striker to take some of the pressure off Kane. Yet their two main transfer targets this month are teenage strikers playing in the Championship – 18-year-old Ademola Lookman at Charlton Athletic and 19-year-old Moussa Dembélé at Fulham. But Pochettino is committed to his way. “There is always the temptation to blame the youngsters and criticise them; sometimes it is not right,” he said. “Youngsters make the same mistakes that senior players do.”