Jose Mourinho appears to have named Japhet Tanganga at left-back for Tottenham’s Premier League trip to Watford this lunchtime.
The 20-year-old started in a defensive three against Liverpool before excelling at right-back in Tuesday’s FA Cup win over Middlesbrough.
WATCH: Tanganga’s Best Dribbling Actions Vs. Boro [Video]
Now today’s lineup suggests he will play on the left of a back four.
#THFC: Gazzaniga, Aurier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen (C), Tanganga, Winks, Lo Celso, Dele, Lamela, Son, Lucas
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 18, 2020
📲 @WilliamHill latest (18+) https://t.co/K2Ldfl21IL#THFC ⚪️ #COYS pic.twitter.com/cuKgrGeMoy
Jan Vertonghen also starts – as captain – and has performed that role several times for Mourinho, but Dan Kilpatrick of Standard Sport understands that Tanganga will be on the left, as the order of the names on Twitter suggests.
These Spurs fans on Twitter are loving Tanganga’s versatility and are confident the youngster can continue to impress, whatever his position.
Tanganga PLAYS WHERE HE WANTS
— botty (@cBotty) January 18, 2020
Tanganga anywhere he wants
— Jake Colton (@JColts1) January 18, 2020
So Tanganga LB lmao he litterally plays every position
— THFC LB (@ThfcLb) January 18, 2020
Tanganga about to show we don’t need a left back either having sorted the centre back and right back slots haha
— Dan (@Daniely79) January 18, 2020
Tanganga now playing LB the lad is a machine
— Nicklas Dauer (@DauerNicklas) January 18, 2020
Elsewhere, Giovani Lo Celso and Erik Lamela both start after their midweek goals. It looks like the former will play in a double pivot for the first time, alongside Harry Winks. It is a lightweight pairing but Jose has little choice.
Christian Eriksen is on the bench, which is good. Davinson Sanchez is also on the bench, which is bad. New signing Gedson Fernandes is on the bench, which means a five-minute cameo at the end.




I struggle to understand why Tanganga had to play LB with Verts in the team and Sess on the bench. Sess would have given us more at LB. Tanganga could rather have played RB in place of Aurier.
Sanchez & Dier dropped for their poor displays in midweek.Fair call.