Spurs: 5 Changes That Would Make Tottenham Title Contenders

5. Two Upfront

Tottenham's goal scoring troubles were meant to be solved with the acquisition of Roberto Soldado from Valencia. Seven goals in 12 appearances for Spain, 59 in 101 for Valencia, and three in three for Spurs promised much, but the ex-Real Madrid striker has only scored one from open play in the Premier League. His hold up play is impressive for someone under 6 foot, but Soldado is no target man and has not had enough clear cut chances as Tottenham's build up play struggles to break down solid defences. In the long term, Villas-Boas may look to add a reliable, physical striker to play with Soldado, but in the short term AVB has to make do and mend. We will talk about the 'mend' next, but one change Villas-Boas can make now is an alteration to his formation and play two strikers. While Christian Eriksen has made an impressive impact since his late summer move from Ajax Spurs have suffered from a lack of numbers in the box. Soldado is a fox in the box, but when he is the only one there the centre backs can cover his movement with ease. For all Tottenham's impressive play, an awful lot of it happens outside the box and often the only chance it creates is an effort from distance. By having more men troubling the back line, especially the centre halves, Spurs will be able to go a bit more direct, stretch and distract the opposition's defence, open up space for runners from midfield and also pounce on any rebounds, blocked shots, or half clearances.