Spurs CANNOT go toe-to-toe with Man City, insists Ladyman

Ian Ladyman has claimed Tottenham will not be able to go 'toe-to-toe' against Man City on the weekend, otherwise they could be in for another heavy defeat.

Before losing three consecutive games, Ange Postecoglou's Spurs side were being hailed for their attacking, front-foot play.

The Aussie manager won three Premier League manager of the month awards in what was Tottenham's best-ever start to the league after ten games.

However, after defeats to Chelsea at home - which began an injury crisis at the club starting with James Maddison and Micky van de Ven - as well as to Wolves and most recently Aston Villa, there has been growing concern over Tottenham's style of play.

Now, speaking on Mail Sport's It's All Kicking Off podcast, Ladyman has insisted that Postecoglou should adapt to the current squad he has around him.

'The big one on Sundays is Tottenham at Manchester City. Tottenham have lost three on the bounce now. Ange Postecoglou's start at Tottenham has not hit the buffers. It's been derailed rather by injuries and suspensions,' Ladyman began.

'He's got another injury, Rodrigo Bentancur is now injured as well, and I'm beginning to wonder, despite all that Postecoglou tells us about his commitment to attacking football.

'I'm just beginning to wonder if on Sunday against the best team in Europe, against the treble winners, whether he just needs to find a way to just shut the door a little bit and maybe try a slightly different approach.'

On Tuesday, Man City managed to overcome RB Leipzig in the Champions League despite being 2-0 down at home and playing, as Phil Foden described, the 'worst they have played all season'.

'As City showed in midweek in the Champions League, it is desperately hard to take them down, Ladyman added.

'I'm not suggesting changes of style [for Postecoglou]. I think what I'm getting at is that we know that he's missing players all over the place.

'And as far as I'm concerned, he's got two very, very good footballers in Eric Dier and Pierre-Emile Hojberg sitting on the bench out of the picture.

'He didn't play either of them against Villa on Sunday when they played very well but lost at home. Hojberg in particular is a really, really effective, solid, defensive minded, central midfield player. Dier can play there as well.

'Is it not time for that type of player? If Tottenham go toe to toe with City on Sunday with the depleted squad that they've got, then they're gonna get the trousers pulled down, aren't they?'

Responding to his co-host's line of questioning, Mail Sport's Chris Sutton argued there is a reason Dier and Hojbjerg  haven't been playing and it's because of 'the bigger picture' and what 'believes in'.

'The reason Eric Dier isn't playing as a centre-back is he can't run, he doesn't have pace,' Sutton said.

'The best two players for Postecoglou have to be the centre backs because they get exposed.

'It's about the bigger picture. It's about what he believes in. [On Hojbjerg] It's all about the quickness of passing, offloading, quickly driving with the ball and he sees other people ahead of Dier and Hojberg in that position.'

Despite Tottenham's recent run of form, a win against City on Sunday would certainly improve the mood in camp.

But with Liverpool and Arsenal keeping pace with City, the reigning league champions will want to press ahead.