Yves Bissouma CAN finish, James Maddison faces competition for the creator-in-chief role and Ange Postecoglou has NOT changed: FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED from Tottenham’s 2-0 win at QPR

Tottenham won 2-0 at Queens Park Rangers in an all-London pre-season friendly on Saturday.

Yves Bissouma – who has never scored a competitive goal for Spurs – broke the deadlock with a fine run and finish late in the first half.

Sixteen-year-old Mikey Moore then set up Dane Scarlett to wrap up a solid victory after wholesale substitutions at half-time.

Spurs were good value for their win after bossing possession, with 66 per cent, against the side that finished 18th in the Championship last season.

Mail Sport’s ROBERT SUMMERSCALES was watching the game and noted down five things we learned from Saturday’s action at Loftus Road.

Defensive midfielder Bissouma has never scored in 56 proper games for Spurs but he took his goal on Saturday like a seasoned No 10.

The former Brighton ace – who netted six times in 124 appearances for the Seagulls – dribbled past one opponent before playing a slick one-two with Dejan Kulusevski.

Bissouma ghosted into the penalty area like he had done it 1,000 times previously, before three more tidy touches saw him hold off a defender, dribble around the keeper and finish from a tight angle.

Surely he will get off the mark for real in Tottenham’s 2024-25 campaign?

Goalkeeper Brandon Austin impressed for the second time in four days.

He kept a first-half clean sheet – just as he had in Wednesday’s 5-1 win at Hearts – and pulled off a superb fingertip save to thwart Rayan Kolli.

Austin also looked very comfortable with the ball at his feet, which will not have gone unnoticed by Ange Postecoglou.

Twenty-five-year-old Austin has still not yet made a senior appearance for Spurs, despite being at the club since 2015.

But do not be surprised if he makes his debut in the 2024-25 season – possibly in the Europa League – while he could even move ahead of Fraser Forster, 36, as Tottenham’s No 2 keeper.

James Maddison faces competition for creator-in-chief role

James Maddison got another 45 minutes under his belt on Saturday but the former Leicester playmaker was not Tottenham’s most creative player.

That title belonged to Kulusevski, who set up Bissouma’s goal and could have had another two assists were it not for Timo Werner and Mikey Moore spurning one-on-one chances.

Brennan Johnson – fresh from registering 10 Premier League assists last season – was also let down by his team-mate’s finishing.

Johnson, who stretched the game in the first half by sticking to the right touchline, found Son Heung-min with two wicked crosses but the South Korean was unable to accept his gifts.

 

Djed Spence can shine as an inverted right back

Pedro Porro was a strong contender for Tottenham’s Player of the Year award last season after dazzling as an attacking force from an inverted wing back position.

When the Spaniard did not play, Brazilian Emerson Royal was a sub-par replacement.

However, it looks like Djed Spence has the attributes and the confidence to be a very able back-up for Porro, providing the former Middlesbrough man stays at Spurs.

Spence – after scoring and assisting against Hearts on Wednesday – frequently looked to turn defence into attack at Loftus Road.

The 23-year-old – who has been loaned out to Rennes, Leeds United and Genoa since signing for Spurs in 2022 – did well defensively too.

 

Ange Postecoglou has NOT changed

Ange Postecoglou’s uncompromising brand of attacking football was a breath of fresh air at the start of last season.

But after Tottenham’s form dipped, it was widely suggested that the affable Aussie might be best served to work on a plan B.

The prospect of that happening looks as unlikely as ever though based on Saturday’s evidence.

Postecoglou stayed loyal to his 4-2-3-1 system with inverted wing backs, despite missing his three first-choice central defenders.

Young forward Jamie Donley started at left back in a bold initial line-up and Spurs pressed high up and field throughout, as well as taking plenty of risks in possession.