Friday 20 February 2015 08:03, UK
Tottenham were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw with Fiorentina in the first leg of their Europa League clash at White Hart Lane. With the second leg in Florence coming just three days prior to the Capital One Cup Final against Chelsea, Adam Bate examines the challenge facing Mauricio Pochettino...
When Roberto Soldado connected beautifully to volley Tottenham ahead five minutes into the first leg of their game against Fiorentina in the last-32 of the Europa League on Thursday night, it looked like it might prove to be a straightforward evening for Mauricio Pochettino and his team. Perhaps this would be one of those all too rare occasions when the £26million Spanish striker walked away as the hero.
Instead, the game ended with Soldado's hands on his hips near the centre circle having sprayed a pass out of play in stoppage time. Given that he had earlier conceded the free-kick that led to Fiorentina's equaliser, it was easy to sense his frustration. In between, Tottenham threw plenty at the Italian side and would have deserved to lead at the break but for a series of spurned chances and now face a difficult trip to Florence just days before the Capital One Cup Final against Chelsea.
Pochettino is trying hard to manage the situation - hence relegating one-time Europa League regular Harry Kane to the bench - but the questions will still come his way and he had the air of a man exasperated by the situation when speaking afterwards. "Maybe I need to explain one time more," he said. "We have a lot of games ahead. In 17 days, we need to play six games and potentially 10 games in 30 days. It's difficult so we need to rotate and give the opportunity to play to all."
Andros Townsend looked likely to be the man to seize that opportunity in the first half. Hauled down by Gonzalo Rodriguez in the fourth minute and a menace to Fiorentina skipper Manuel Pasqual throughout the opening exchanges, Townsend completed six dribbles in his 72-minute outing - nobody else managed more than four in the 90. He also hurled in twice as many crosses as anyone else, fashioned a couple of chances and generally looking a considerable threat.
Even the urge to shoot has been curbed. Indeed, judging by the surging defensive runs to cover for his full-back Kyle Walker, he looked like a man determined to get the attention of his manager with some big games ahead. It certainly wasn't difficult to believe Pochettino had Townsend in mind when it came to his assessment of the team's early work. "I think we made a big, big effort in the first half. We made a great effort. But it was 1-1. It's a shame. We created a lot of chances."
Tactical switch
Naturally, opposite number Vincenzo Montella had noted the danger down that right flank. He subsequently made a tactical switch that did much to nullify the problem - changing to a back-four and preventing Walker's overlaps from having the same effect. With Fiorentina sitting deeper to deny Townsend space to run at Pasqual - who was replaced by Marcos Alonso midway through the second half - the opportunities to hurt the visitors soon dried up.
"In the first 30 minutes of the first half, we suffered a little due to their high tempo and their physical approach to the game but we knew that was going to happen," said Montella. "I think, in a way, they paid the price for all the energy that they expended in the first half when it came to the second half. To a certain extent, it was because we switched to a four-man defence. It's something we'd already thought of beforehand anyway. We adapted to what was going on a lot better."
Townsend, the star of that first half, was even removed in favour of Erik Lamela with 20 minutes remaining but with Christian Eriksen in a strangely listless mood, it did not have the desired effect. The England winger's last kick of the ball - a cross for Soldado to head goalwards to no avail - was the final chance of note. "Maybe in the last 15 to 20 minutes, we didn't create many chances," admitted Pochettino.
Ostensibly, the tie remains in the balance but how Pochettino approaches the second leg remains to be seen. Of course, the Spurs boss will be reluctant to see their European campaign come to an end after playing nine games just to get this far. However, with the team returning from Florence in the early hours of Friday morning before a Sunday trip to Wembley, there will be difficult decisions to make and that will surely mean some key omissions in the Stadio Artemio Franchi next week.
First up, it's West Ham this Sunday, a game for which both Kane and Ryan Mason seem certain to be among those who return to the starting line-up. The match is the reverse fixture of Pochettino's first game at the helm and their presence alone shows how far Spurs have come under their new coach. But how his first season is ultimately viewed will surely be shaped by the events of next week. It seems Thursday's draw with Fiorentina has left the tie - and Spurs' season - in the balance.
Watch the Capital One Cup Final between Tottenham and Chelsea live on Sky Sports 1 HD on March 1st
