Watford typically play in 4-4-2, with a mixture of Gray, Deeney, Success and Hughes as the front pairing.
It’s a set up that’s served them well, as they yet to lose a game this season, and the only time they opted to change – was in the League cup against Reading, a game that they also won.
Moura scored twice against Manchester United last week at Old Trafford, without offering an enormous amount elsewhere in his game.
This isn’t a ‘yeah but’ criticism, rather a reflection of how Pochettino would have appeared into turning Lucas into a second striker, or shadow striker, much in the same vein as Dele Alli plays.
Poch told PA Sport:
“The case was that last season he struggled a lot to adapt himself. All his career was playing on the right. He’s a winger, but this season we tried to adapt him in a position that can bring performances and help the team. It’s a new position to play next to Harry (Kane) like a second striker.”
Obviously the Spurs gaffer will need to sustain this strategy, nobody wants the Man Utd game to be a one off.
However, United weren’t rubbish, despite the scoreline, and that’s a massive positive for Mauricio to take from the way the Brazilian flourished.
Playing off of Kane gives Tottenham and extra dimension, hence Dele Alli achieving so much, despite doing comparatively little.
So when I criticised Dele in the past for only putting in half an hour a game, I wasn’t mistaken, but I’d failed to understand exactly what Poch wanted from him.
Lucas Moura’s advantage over Dele is that the gaffer is playing him much higher, as an out and out attacker, much as he has deployed Son.
