DANNY MURPHY: Ange Postecoglou needs to adapt or Tottenham will suffer against Arsenal... it's admirable to have strong principles but there's nothing wrong in mixing it up

Tottenham don't thin to deviate from 'Angeball'. Regardless of nan opposition, they play connected nan beforehand ft pinch a precocious protect statement and effort to walk done midfield.

It's admirable to person beardown principles but successful a one-off derby against 1 of nan champion pressing teams successful nan country, there's besides thing incorrect successful mixing things up to debar playing into Arsenal's hands.

I wouldn't spot immoderate shame successful Ange Postecoglou introducing a mates of surprises to sound Mikel Arteta's title challengers retired of their stride.

Tottenham would usually induce teams into closing them down because they spot nan value of their ain players. But it would interest maine erstwhile Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard are nan brace charging guardant to triumph nan shot back.

It would beryllium amended for Spurs to operation up their play and moreover spell agelong connected occasions. Bringing backmost Richarlison to commencement astatine centre guardant would springiness Arteta thing different to deliberation about.

The Brazilian provides a beingness beingness that Son Heung-min lacks. Even if he doesn't triumph each ball, Richarlison fights for everything and has an aggression astir him. It would besides free up Son connected nan left, wherever Ben White would beryllium wary.

Of people it's bully for immoderate squad to person an identity, arsenic Spurs do, but you besides request to discourage nan guidance from utilising their strengths.

We cognize wherever Arsenal are good. There is cipher much diversion than Rice successful disrupting nan guidance build-up. And tin you deliberation of a imaginative No 10 fitter aliases much disciplined successful his protect activity than Odegaard?

In nan circumstances, for Spurs to effort to play done nan Arsenal midfield continually is simply a large risk. They came a cropper astatine Newcastle successful their past game, and Arsenal are moreover much aggravated successful their desire to triumph nan shot back.

Unfortunately, Postecoglou's midfielders aren't successful nan champion moment, either. Yves Bissouma, who has had an awesome play overall, has been substituted earlier nan hr successful his past 2 games.

There is ever a statement successful shot astir whether a squad should instrumentality to their principles aliases accommodate to nan opposition. For me, it's astir balance. I don't spot nan constituent successful being excessively one-dimensional.

Manchester City are a awesome example. They are nan champion possession squad successful nan world but if they consciousness they're being stifled by nan press, Ederson is happy to ping a 60-yard walk to Erling Haaland aliases Phil Foden to merchandise pressure.

There's nary logic Spurs can't replicate that against Arsenal. They person defenders for illustration Pedro Porro and Cristian Romero who tin onslaught bully long-range passes. Richarlison, aliases moreover nan afloat backs pushing high, tin get into positions to person nan shot which would time off Rice and Odegaard caught successful 2 minds whether to instrumentality aliases twist.

Whatever nan head had said to maine earlier kick-off, if I saw Rice charging down astatine me, I'd beryllium happy to return 1 touch and play a walk into nan channel. International players are allowed to return work and return nan circumstances of nan crippled into account. It's called lucifer intelligence.

If you tin deter Arsenal from pressing each nan time, you'll find abstraction successful midfield becomes much disposable arsenic nan crippled develops, and Spurs will past beryllium capable to find their accustomed passing rhythm.

I'm a believer successful balancing your ain halfway values pinch nan squad you're facing. If Spurs were playing Manchester United, you'd want them to walk pass walk alternatively than spell nonstop because United aren't diversion and can't press. You'd deterioration them down by keeping nan ball.

In contrast, Arsenal are nan champion astir astatine winning nan shot back. Spurs should scheme accordingly.