IF Dortmund are the blueprint then Tottenham now have a brutal indication of just how far there is to go.
People can point fingers at the manager, the line-up and the fitness levels all they want but there was nothing that a few changes would have helped in last night's 3-0 drubbing at the Westfalenstadion - this was men versus boys.
Our lads were outpassed, outpressed and outworked by a slick, efficient and endlessly fit Dortmund side that could have been out of sight by half-time.
It might feel like scant encouragement but this is the side that Spurs aspire to emulate - with possessive-yet-potent attacking football, homegrown talent and even a huge behind-the-goal kop.
Who knows, maybe even reasonable ticket prices!
A bigger concern has to be the poor reflection it casts on the current status of the English game.
Yes, we are all enjoying a fantastic and unpredictable season in which any one of four, maybe five, teams could still lift the title.
Yes, we've had some incredible stories, upsets and seen some brilliant goals.
But should a team second in the Premier League really be so comprehensively outclassed by their Bundesliga equivalent?
You certainly wouldn't back Leicester to give German leaders Bayern Munich a run for their money either.
Seeing our big sides flounder makes entertaining viewing but this was the biggest indication yet that those who have replaced them at the top this season are not raising the bar, just making the most of an opportunity.
On the night it was a painful defeat but at least those on the pitch, the bench, sat in the stands and watching on the box now have a yardstick.
This is what can be created if we stick on the path we have started.
Mauricio Pochettino's squad are 18 months into a philosophy that Dortmund have had drilled into them since 2009.
Their boss Thomas Tuchel joined last summer and is continuing the hi-octane, high-pressing work introduced by Jurgen Klopp seven years ago.
Interestingly enough, Tuchel also managed Mainz shortly after Klopp, quickly surpassing the now-Liverpool manager's success.
Where Klopp got Mainz promoted, Tuchel took them into the Europa League.
Where Klopp took Dortmund to back-to-back league titles and the 2012-13 Champions League final, Tuchel has them again chasing down Bayern at the top and they must now be favourites for the Europa League.
It all comes together for one nasty bump back down to earth for Spurs but an impressive lesson to go with it.
The improved fitness levels, the demanding pressing game and the flowing attacks can all go up a notch. Our players now have first hand experience of it. For some, it will be an encouragement, for others a kick up the ass.
If this Dortmund side is a glimpse of where hard work and a well-drilled philosophy can lead you, then we should be very excited about our chosen path.
No comments:
Post a Comment