Pressing can be a risky business

WHEN Tottenham inflicted a first defeat on Pep Guardiola as Manchester City manager, in 2016, the key to that victory was Spurs’ intense high press. Mauricio Pochettino had his midfielders pushing up on to City’s defenders. The idea is that you are trying to keep the ball away from their best players, disrupt their rhythm. You have a better chance of winning the ball back off their defenders than you do from David Silva or Ilkay Gundogan. It is high risk, though. The key is timing. Every player has to buy into it. It’s all or nothing. If one person is not doing it 100 per cent, it becomes easy for a team like City. Before you know it, Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane are running at your back four.

Tottenham tried to do it again at the Etihad last season and lost 4-1. My worry for Spurs is I do not think they are capable of doing it. They do not seem as athletic as they were.

Against Liverpool, they could not press high because they had five at the back with their wing backs deep. When they do that, they do not often get the balance right.

If they sit too deep, they take Harry Kane out of the game. They get nowhere near enough numbers high up and he’s left on his own. They need a complete performance, you can’t afford a bad 45 minutes.