Edgar Davids has slated Tottenham’s tactics from their first leg with Ajax and has delivered his verdict on what could be a ‘very hard’ second leg in Amsterdam.
The former Ajax and Spurs man also revealed what Tottenham need to do to make it more competitive and potentially win their first piece of European silverware since 1984.
David’s told BT Sport: “It’s going to be very hard for Tottenham, because they have to start with a whole different mentality and tactic of course”.
"They're getting one very important player back, he's fast, he can rip defences open!"
"They have to start with a whole different mentality."
Edgar Davids knows what Spurs need to do to salvage things in the Johan Cruyff Arena.#NoFilterUCL pic.twitter.com/yEARuR2xJk
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 8, 2019
Tottenham go into the second leg with the boost that Heung Min Son will return after missing the first game through suspension and Davids warned Ajax about the impact the forward could have on the Spurs side: “They’re gonna get one important player back, so he’s fast, he can rip open the defence”.
OPINION
Spurs were outplayed in the first leg against Ajax and couldn’t find an answer to their opponents fast paced pressing and passing football. Having said that, Pochettino’s tactics made it very easy for the Dutch side to control the game, the extra man in defence meant that there was a huge space in midfield which allowed Ajax to dominate quite easily. When Moussa Sissoko was introduced in the second half, the game changed slightly and although Ajax still created chances, Tottenham’s threat also increased with more bodies in the middle of the park. If Pochettino sets his side up similarly in the second leg from the start, Spurs will have a much higher chance of qualification for the final. The added inclusion of the previously suspended Son certainly helps too, his pace and flair on the ball has been used to great effect this season when talisman Harry Kane has been out. Son offers so much more up front that Fernando Llorente does and the Ajax defence will have a must sterner test to keep their opponents out on Wednesday, even with home advantage. So it’s no surprise that Davids is raving about the threat of Son ahead of the clash with Ajax as he is probably right to suggest he can “rip” them open.