Tottenham face Watford in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.
Mauricio Pochettino will certainly be feeling the nerves as he prepares his out-of-form Tottenham Hotspur side to face Marco Silva’s Watford at Vicarage Road on Saturday afternoon.
The north Londoners come into the game with just one point from a possible nine, losing to Arsenal and Leicester and stuttering to a 1-1 home draw against a managerless West Bromwich Albion.
Argentine boss Pochettino is known for his extensive knowledge of the opposition but the quality of his young Spurs squad means he does not have to worry about the strengths of the sides they face.
However, with form worsening, Pochettino must warn his side about Watford’s strength all over the park and recall 30-year-old midfielder Mousa Dembele to counteract the physicality of impressive midfield ace Abdoulaye Doucoure.
The Hornets boast strength from front to back, with the likes of Miguel Britos, Sebastian Prodl, Troy Deeney, Andre Gray and Doucoure known for their strength and aggression.
Without Toby Alderweireld, who is suffering with an injury, Spurs must bolster their ranks with as much as strength as possible and that means Belgium international Dembele must start – even though Harry Winks is set tor a return from illness.
Former Fulham ace Dembele is arguably one of the best carriers of possession in the Spurs squad, with his core strength and low centre of gravity crucial in helping him keep the ball when the odds are stacked against him.
Doucoure has begun to show just how crucial he is to the Watford side, providing a solid blanket in front of the defence with his strong, tenacious style of play but also dictating the tempo of a match with his passing from deep.
Dembele must start to match the in-form Watford 24-year-old, in what would be pivotal in helping Spurs brush aside Watford and stop the rot in Hertfordshire.
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