Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou is already playing full-back Sergio Reguilon in a new role.
Journalist Alasdair Gold shared this observation on Twitter in the opening few minutes of Tottenham’s game against West Ham.
It already looks like Ange Postecoglou is going to be playing a very different style of football from Antonio Conte.
In his first team selection, the most immediate difference is a switch to a back four with three players in midfield.
His team selection can’t be assessed too heavily, given players will be at different levels of fitness during pre-season.
Oliver Skipp, for example, has just returned from playing with England’s Under-21 side and should still be very sharp.
Postecoglou has also given chances to some players who weren’t involved last season.
Japhet Tanganga started at centre-back, while Sergio Reguilon was playing at full-back having been on loan at Atletico Madrid last season.
Postecoglou appears to already have a new role for Reguilon in the side.
Unfortunately, he would have hoped to have made a better first impression.
Postecoglou playing Reguilon in new role
Posting on Twitter as the game began, Gold said: “You can already see the Postecoglou instructions.
“Bissouma split the centre-backs to get the ball and Reguilon comes right inside into centre-midfield.”
The £32m defender won’t want to look at West Ham’s first goal very often.
Danny Ings found the back of the net after Spurs didn’t clear a set piece and Gold added: “Poor defending from Reguilon, who tried to use his foot rather than challenge for the header with the Hammers man.”
It will take time for Reguilon and his teammates to get used to any new role presented to them by Postecoglou.
It appears as though the Australian coach wants to use inverted full-backs to give them more options in midfield.
It’s a system Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool used last season to varying levels of success.
Asking Reguilon to play this new role for the first time is a real test of his ability and so far, he’s struggled defensively but looked better going forward.
There’s been talk that Tottenham might sell Reguilon this summer, but he may end up being their best option at left-back.
Postecoglou’s other options are more suited to playing wing-back, although new signing Destiny Udogie should be given a fair chance to make that spot his own.
Reguilon will at least be hoping to avoid any more heavy challenges from Cristian Romero in training to maintain his fitness going into the new season.
