Tottenham Hotspur has turned a corner. After an extremely difficult period, Ange Postecoglou’s team has now won its last three Premier League matches in-a-row, the latest coming in the away victory over Ipswich Town on Saturday. At long last, Spurs appear to be heading in the right direction again.
Son Heung-min is a threat in the final third once more, registering two assists at Portman Road. Brennan Johnson found the back of the net twice in the 4-1 win while Djed Spence and Lucas Bergvall caught the eye too. There was also another start for Mathys Tel who started as Tottenham’s centre forward.
Spurs put a lot of effort into signing Tel in January. The youngster has joined the club on loan until the end of the season, but Tottenham has the option to make his transfer a permanent one for a reported fee of €55m. It’s entirely possible that clause will be activated. Tel is an extremely talented player.
However, his best position is not entirely clear. Postecoglou deployed Tel as a centre forward in the win over Ipswich, but the 19-year-old isn’t the strongest at holding up the ball. Instead, he is the sort of attacker who likes to use his pace and directness to drive towards goal. This is when Tel is most dangerous.
Of course, Dominic Solanke will likely reclaim his spot up front once he returns from injury in the coming weeks. The England international has quickly become one of Postecoglou’s most important players after joining from Bournemouth last summer. He is one of the best attacking focal points in the Premier League.
This would leave Tel to scrap for a starting position on the wings along with Son and Johnson. Dejan Kulusevski can also play out wide. There’s no guarantee the French youngster will keep his place in the team, but Tottenham needs options to make Postecoglou’s physically demanding approach work.
It might be too late for Spurs to get anywhere close to the top-end of the Premier League table. This is where they want to be. However, Postecoglou’s side can still build momentum between now and the end of the season. Tottenham can still prove that its current direction and approach is the right one.
Tel might not be an immediate solution to some of the issues Spurs has suffered from this season, but the teenager is someone who could be moulded by Postecoglou should he remain in North London beyond the summer. Whether he’s a centre forward or something else, the potential is there.