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Premier League
Nov 23, 2019 at 12.30pm UK
 
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Antonio (73'), Ogbonna (96')
FT(HT: 0-2)
Heung-min (36'), Moura (43'), Kane (49')

How Tottenham Hotspur could line up against West Ham United

Sports Mole looks at how Jose Mourinho could line up against West Ham United for his first game as Tottenham Hotspur boss on Saturday.

All eyes will be on Jose Mourinho on Saturday as Tottenham Hotspur's new manager takes on West Ham United in the Premier League.

The 56-year-old, following almost a year out of management, was announced as the new Spurs manager on Wednesday.

Spurs, currently 14th in the Premier League, will now be expected to produce a response to the poor performances seen under Mauricio Pochettino so far this term.

Here, Sports Mole looks at how Mourinho may line up for his first game in charge.


POSSIBLE TOT XI v WHU

Out: Hugo Lloris (elbow)
Doubtful: Erik Lamela (thigh), Jan Vertonghen (thigh)

> Click here to view Tottenham's full list of injuries and suspensions ahead of this fixture.

Mourinho will head into this game knowing that Spurs have not won away in the Premier League since January, meaning that the Portuguese, above all, will look at how the North London side can exercise more control.

On the other hand, the 56-year-old will be conscious of shaking up the boat too rapidly, and will therefore encourage a similar 4-2-3-1 shape as endorsed in the later stages of the Pochettino reign.

One player who may be on the way out is Serge Aurier, who has perhaps made one too many mistakes at the back this term. Juan Foyth, an energetic youngster, could get the nod instead.

In the middle, Mourinho looks likely to abandon the idea of playing Eric Dier in central defence and instead opt to partner Davinson Sanchez - a player he has praised in the past - with Toby Alderweireld, who remains the club's best defender amid a dispute over his contract.

When Mourinho took the Spurs job, a source of excitement would have been the partnership of Tanguy Ndombele and Moussa Sissoko at the base of midfield, which closely reflects midfield pairings used in the past, from Frank Lampard and Claude Makelele to Scott McTominay and Nemanja Matic.

One big question that many will ask, much like how they did about Juan Mata in 2016, will be whether Christian Eriksen fits into the Mourinho mould.

The player could be leaving next summer, but as a man fixated on results, Mourinho will want to give the Dane space out wide as a means of utilising his excellent ability to engineer the ball in tight spaces alongside Dele Alli.

Using Eriksen in this way allows for Mourinho to complement him on the other side with Son Heung-min, who has been one of Tottenham's best players since August.

The incessant and calculated running of the Korean, combined with the nimble Eriksen, should lay a good platform for Harry Kane to thrive at the London Stadium.

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Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino and Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho pictured in August 2018
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