After accomplishing his initial mission to avoid relegation from the Premier League, Spurs boss [PERSON_NAME] had time and money to start creating a new-look Tottenham squad. His build-up coaching concepts were initially admired, featuring centre-backs standing tall on the ball to wait for pressure before combining with holding midfielders. This pace turns slow possession into one-against-one situations for attackers.

However, the game has changed. Coaches now consciously nullify those tactics by blocking the vertical path through the middle. In response, [PERSON_NAME] seeks new solutions by pulling central players out or progressing the ball down the flanks.

This adaptation was clear in a pre-season 3-0 win, where the opposition used an extremely narrow 4-4-2 defensive mid-block. To protect the centre, both wide midfielders shifted inward. Spurs countered by passing between centre-backs to shift the shape laterally. Wide full-backs acted as decoys, pulling opponents away to open space for centre-forwards dropping deep into dangerous areas.