So much of football's entertainment value naturally comes from the creative, skillful and determined players who score the all-important goals. There is a lot to be said, too, for the satisfaction of watching a team shut their opponents out.It is why Tottenham Hotspur's new striker Vincent Janssen has made such a favourable impression already with his selfless efforts to help regain possession. It is why their centre-backs Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen have become such a valuable and acclaimed partnership at the heart of the north Londoners' defence.After a rustier showing in the season-opening 1-1 draw with Everton, the two were at their sharp and in-tune best in Tottenham's 1-0 win over Crystal Palace. Ahead of the visit of likely Premier League upper-echelon rivals Liverpool, it was a reminder of just how important they will be to any title challenge from Mauricio Pochettino's men this season.Redemption of sorts has been a theme for Tottenham and so many of their players heading into the new campaign."I think it's very important now to recover this feeling because the end of the season was hard, it was tough," Pochettino said post-Palace, reflecting on their failed 2015-16 title-bid and demoralised subsequent collapse. "But today it was good to forget last season now, to look forward and working hard."Alderweireld and Vertonghen defending so well against the Eagles could serve as their particular cleansing moment.Similarly to others like Dele Alli and Harry Kane, last season's disappointing end was exacerbated by a frustrating summer's international duty. Belgium had more to cheer about than England at Euro 2016, but the failure to maximise the talent of their squad was no less galling.Vertonghen missed the quarter-final defeat by Wales (featuringSpurs team-mate Ben Davies) because of an ankle injury suffered in training. Whether he would have made a difference is doubtful, with the Belgians' back-four already looking suspect, in part a consequence of then-manager Marc Wilmots' preference for utilising Vertonghen at left-back rather than in his usual central position.The separation of he and his club-mate Alderweireld still baffles even now considering how well they did last season. Then again, even together they are not always invincible.The duo experienced the brunt of Spurs' heartbreaking May.Although culpable in part themselves, they were also left with their fellow defenders to try to cover for mistakes and oversights further forward, with Pochettino's all-for-one defensive strategy giving way in a manner that was not the least bit entertaining for the Lilywhite faithful.The 2-2 draw with Chelsea was arguably the nadir of Alderweireld's fan-voted player-of-the-season year. Where much of his team lost their temper in the heat of a derby with championship stakes, he lost his focus.Distracted at a corner-kick, he allowed Gary Cahill to go free and reduce Spurs' two-goal lead by one. Eden Hazard's equaliser was not solely his fault, others let the attacker through, but the ease with which Diego Costa turned Alderweireld before making the telling pass is not a moment he will want to remember.In the following 2-1 loss against Southampton, both Alderweireld and Vertonghen played Dusan Tadic and Steven Davis too loosely for the latter's leveller. Saints' secondlike four of the five Newcastle United would put past them in the final-day humiliationwas more a result of insufficient protection from midfield and wide areas (Vertonghen did concede the penalty that led to the Magpies' third, but it was a harsh decision).None of this took away from the two's contributions to Tottenham's status up until then as the Premier League's stingiest defence. If anything, it highlighted just how good they had previously been in setting such an impressive tone.As referenced earlier, there was some rustiness in this season's opener vs.EvertonVertonghen's lack of pre-season match time following his European Championship injury left him especially off the pace. But they did well enough, ultimately stopping the lively line-leading Gerard Deulofeu and Kevin Mirallas, while it was an Alderweireld advance that led to Erik Lamela making it 1-1.So long as they back it up, the Crystal Palace game looked like theirs and Tottenham's proper "we're back" moment. Few performances are flawless, but this was the Belgium internationals performing their craft with proper conviction and pride.From the start, they played with an alertness that is crucial to top-flight football (as seen by their opponents getting caught out later, visibly communicating to make sure Connor Wickham did not go unchecked in Palace's first attack).A big part of the two's success last seasonwhich Alderweireld did well maintaining alongside Kevin Wimmer when Vertonghen missed late winter to early spring through injurywas knowing where the other was positioned. They strove to maintain a certain shape corresponding with other positions but were not so rigid they could not adapt if necessary.Two minutes after the aforementioned marshalling of Wickham, Alderweireld was again tracking him as Vertonghen chased Jason Puncheon out left. The Palace attacking midfielder hooked it beyond the first challenger but then found Alderweireld too quick for him, the defender understanding he could leave his man to get across and clear for safety, pictured below:While neither are full-on, lung-busting leaders in the Tony Adams or John Terry mould, they take ownership in their work. Vertonghen notably improved here last year, and it was encouraging to see him and Alderweireld discussing and honing their respective positioning after he went out right to stop Wickham in the seventh minute.Spurs stopping opponents is obviously not just about what these two do in combination. Other partnerships within the back five and the link with midfield are crucial, while Pochettino has long been a big proponent of defending from the front.Still, the security a good centre-back pairing (or trio) can bring as a fail-safe is big. As the match against Palace progressed, we saw that repeatedly emphasised.Shortly before half-time Vertonghen read, intercepted and safely cleared an Andros Townsend cross. After the interval, the 29-year-old headed away a LeeChung-Yong centre with Wickham lurking dangerously nearby.The south Londoners continued finding ways to get at their cross-Thames foes even as Tottenham upped their efforts, too.In the 56th minute, both the Belgians were required to stand firm to successive attempts to break through. Later in the half,Alderweireld recovered superbly from losing the ball in the Palace half to get back and block Wilfried Zaha cutting inside.Victor Wanyama's 82nd-minute goal alleviated this pressure, yet Spurs' defence did not lose concentration. When Alderweireld was caught out of position late on, Vertonghen was on hand to deal with the break. First instructing left-back Danny Rose to keep an eye on Wickham. Then, when his team had regrouped, getting out to block Puncheon's shot (see below).With due respect to a Palace outfit hoping to be significantly boosted by new signing Christian Benteke moving forward, Tottenham will face tougher opposition.Alderweireld and Vertonghen must deal with their compatriot's former club Liverpool this weekend. It is the first of many such challenges their team will need them to be on top form for.Jurgen Klopp's side struggled against a well-organised Burnley side last weekend but put four past Arsenal a week earlier, and five getting back to winning ways against Burton Albion this week in the EFL Cup.The Reds boast the likes of Philippe Coutinho, Sadio Mane and Daniel Sturridge. Spurs must prepare to contend with other dangerous rivals' attacks newly strengthened by formidable talents such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic at Manchester United and another Belgian in Michy Batshuayi at Chelsea.Beyond competing with specific individuals, Alderweireld and Vertonghen will once again get an up-close view of shifting tactical trends informing the use of these players.Last season two of their most difficult games came facing Leicester City. The addition of Janssen has given Spurs scope to replicate the kind of two-man attack the title-winning Foxes' successfully used and helped rehabilitate the reputation of in England (or a lopsided front-three given attacking midfielder Riyad Mahrez was just as involved here as the more traditional strikers Shinji Okazaki and Jamie Vardy).Elsewhere the 4-2-3-1 is still popularPochettino started with it at Everton,and Alan Pardew has been using the formation with Palacebut some are doubling down and packing out attacking midfield in something closer to 4-1-4-1.Pep Guardiola's use of Kevin De Bruyne, Jesus Navas, David Silva and Raheem Sterling behind Sergio Aguero (withFernandinho sitting behind them) in Manchester City's 4-1 win over Stoke City was particularly ominous. With others like Kelechi Iheanacho and Nolito also available to call on, in full synchronicity they could give even the strongest rearguard a torrid time.Tottenham thriving in this landscape, stopping these teams and showing their own considerable threat, is far from being just about Alderweireld and Vertonghen. But their chances of doing well are going to be aided significantly by these two showing the partnership they established last season can buck the modern trend of largely woeful, unfocused defending.Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Click here to read full news..
