''

The season is just 3 games old and the drama has already begun. Tottenham Hotspur have conceded late goals in 3 consecutive games to drop points and find themselves with merely 2 points from 3 outings. Unfortunately, some sections of fans have already started booing the team and are calling for Villas-Boas' head. Fans might be wondering whether Tottenham is going in the right direction. Is Villas Boas and his tactics suited for Tottenham ? Is the Tottenham defence fast enough to cope with the high line that the manager likes playing? These questions are lingering in the minds of every Tottenham faithful and we will be analysing the options at the disposal of Villas-Boas for his famous defensive setup.

The tactical template of Villas-Boas includes holding a high defencive line and pressing high up on the pitch. His defenders need to be good with and without the ball. To implement a high line defence, the defenders need to be really quick and should be comfortable on-the-ball. At Chelsea, captain John Terry wasnai??i??t a quick player and the much hyped high line ended up as a big failure. William Gallas and Michael Dawson - two of Tottenhamai??i??s central defenders - are of a similar mould. Is Villas-Boas repeating the same mistakes at Tottenham Hotspur?

Veteran Gallas has started in all 3 matches for Spurs. The manager trusted him with the captaincy in all outings after the retirement of Ledley King and the unavailability of Scott Parker; Villas-Boas thought Michael Dawson is not suited for his style of play. Was it the right move? William Gallas has good leadership qualities and has vital top flight experience under his belt. It might be the reason why he started all the matches ahead of upcoming prospect Steven Caulker and fan favorite Michael Dawson.

William Gallas ai??i?? at 34 - is a player past his prime and he will become a liability soon. Gallas is comfortable on the ball and occasionally he carries the ball to opposition half to initiate attacks. Also he steps out of defence to make crucial interceptions. But his lack of pace and indecisiveness at times is not suited for a top club. Romelu Lukaku exploited his weakness; the Spurs defence was in disarray towards the end of West Brom game and hence Tottenham dropped crucial points in that game as well. Also, Gallas is a slow starter off-the-ball and when Tottenham need to close down quickly, he may not be ideally suited for the job. Villas-Boas has stuck with him in all matches and we have witnessed some shambolic defending in last 15 minutes or so in every Tottenham game. Villas-Boas usually tries to prove his decisions are correct by sticking on to the same players. If that is the case, Tottenham's future doesn't look bright with Gallas in the thick of things.

Tottenhamai??i??s mainstay in central defence, Younus Kaboul, is injured and ruled out for a minimum of 3 to 4 months. A big blow considering how Gallas has performed thus far. Jan Vertonghen has adjusted to life in the Premier League without any difficulty and his performances so far have been very encouraging. Ai??Vertonghen has completed more than 90% of his passes and has made crucial interceptions to initiate attacks. He has won 10 out of 11 aerial duals in the last game and his tackling success ratio is also good. Vertonghen has made some darting runs into the opposition half and has provided defensive solidarity at the back. His displays are assuring and he is looking like a real steal from Spurs' perspective, as he brings calm and composure to their game.

So who is the right man to partner Vertonghen in the absence of the ever-reliable Kaboul? Swansea City was the team to watch out for last season with beautiful display with the ball and their game was aided by solid presence at the back in the form of a 20-year old Steven Caulker. Great Britainai??i??s defence was solid at the Olympics and the British fans were surprised to see the youngster Steven Caulker marshalling the defence with ease. The same Steven Caulker got a call up to the senior national squad as well. Still he finds himself on the bench at White Hart Lane. Villas-Boas has been known for entrusting responsibilities to youngsters ahead of the veterans, but his past decisions lead to heavy criticism and that might be the reason why Tottenham faithful are still awaiting to see Steven Caulker in a Lillywhite Jersey in the Premier League. An intelligent and clever defender, Steven Caulker is confident on the ball and can pass it around with ease. Caulker is blessed with good pace, physical attributes and game sense to be a successful top flight defender. It remains to be seen whether Villas-Boas trusts the promising central defender in the near future.

Villas Boas was quick to identify that Michael Dawson isnai??i??t the right man suited for the high line defence. He tried to offload him during the summer but it didnai??i??t happen and as a blessing in disguise, Tottenham Hotspur can count on him in the absence of Kaboul. Dawson is not a pacy defender, but he is good in aerial and ground duels and has a good range of long passes up his sleeve, if an alternate route is required. Itai??i??s a big puzzle that Gallas is enjoying the rub of the green ahead of Michael Dawson. Both are slow players, still Dawson is better than Gallas with age on his side. Even in the absence of Younus Kaboul, Tottenham Hotspur have enough resources available in central defence to implement Villas-Boas' plans, the manager is making wrong choicesAi??currently. Gallas and Dawson are players who can be deployed in a normal defensive pairing to yield results, but they cannot be trusted while deploying a high-line in defence. Vertonghen and Caulker are best suited for such tactics, in the absence of Kaboul. Itai??i??s time for Villas Boas to drop Gallas and include Caulker in his starting line-up. The Tottenham faithful will be more than happy to be patient and witness an academy product bring success to the club.