Stuart Pearce has urged Antonio Conte to pick Ben Davies over Clement Lenglet in a back three for Tottenham because the fullback is more attack-minded
There has been a lot of talk about Conte’s style of play at Spurs and Pearce thinks, with Davies at the back, it makes the system ‘more attacking’, as he told talkSPORT.
Prior to Conte’s arrival, Davies was a regular feature as a left-back and he was a solid performer for the Premier League side.
But his new manager decided to switch his roles when he took over proceedings and he has done very well when picked to start.
Given that Lenglet is a centre-back by trade, then he’s not going to have the natural minerals to get forward like Davies would when on and off the ball.
That was explained by England legend Pearce, who thinks Davies needs to start on that left side of a three ahead of the Barcelona loanee, after the latter did so against Frankfurt in the Champions League.
“Their forté is going forward, rather than the defensive side of the game, which is the case for a lot of fullbacks,” said Pearce.
“Where I think Tottenham suffer a little bit is, he either plays Lenglet or Davies at left centre-half. If you play Davies, he gets forward, he overlaps, he underlaps and he gets into the opposition’s final third.
“More so than Lenglet. He played Lenglet against Frankfurt. He’s more of an old fashioned central-defender, who won’t get forward.
“I think what makes it more of an attacking system, even playing five at the back, is if Davies plays on the left side because he ends up in the opposition’s half. Davies does it extremely well.”
NOTHING WRONG WITH CONTE’S STYLE
There have been a lot of grumblings over the type of football that is being played by Spurs, and in truth, it’s harsh on the man in the dugout.
No-one had an issue last season when they beat Arsenal to fourth spot and secured Champions League football.
Yes, Conte’s teams don’t press high up like others, or he doesn’t seemingly ask his players to be aggressive without the ball in an attacking sense.
But Tottenham have still played winning football, which has continued this season, and as long as that doesn’t change, then Spurs will motor forward.
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