View: Tottenham ace Ivan Perisic holds key to Manchester United threat, defensive switch-up required
Tottenham are enduring a rollercoaster of a Premier League campaign, with the club not quite able to get things right on the pitch.
And behind the scenes, plenty of change has happened, with the powers that be sacking Antonio Conte, then choosing to sack interim boss Christian Stellini not long after.
He has been succeeded by Ryan Mason, who will be desperate to impress with a strong end to a strange campaign for the North London outfit.
But Mason has been thrown right in at the deep end, with his first task coming against top-four chasing Manchester United.
The Red Devils pose plenty of threats, but none more so than lethal attacker Marcus Rashford, who currently sits on 15 Premier League goals for the season.
It seems evident that Erik ten Hag will start with the deadly forward at left-wing, with Spurs supporters already dreading the thought of the England star running at Pedro Porro, who could play at either right-back or right wing-back, depending on which formation Mason chooses.
Like many of his teammates, the Spaniard was given a torrid time in the club’s 6-1 humiliation to Newcastle on Sunday (23 April).
Involved in much of the action, Porro lost possession of the ball a match-high 20 times, as well as being dribbled past twice, as per SofaScore.
Right-back has been a major issue for Spurs in recent times, with the likes of Matt Doherty, Djed Spence and Emerson Royal all seemingly failing to land a regular role there.
That led to the loan signature of Porro, but his recent displays have not been convincing at all, with a pacey and direct Man United attack undoubtedly set to cause further issues for the 23-year-old.
Fortunately, Tottenham may have a solution to their right-back woes right under their nose, with Ivan Perisic representing a more than suitable option.
Although playing at left wing-back in recent seasons, Perisic would be equally comfortable on the right-hand side, with his strong right foot definitely working in his favour when it comes to both attacking and defending.
In stark contrast to Porro, the veteran defender can hold his head relatively high after the dismal defeat, with the 34-year-old winning five of his seven ground duels and two of his three aerial duels, as per SofaScore.
Moreover, he made four clearances and was not dribbled past on the night, with Porro posting totals of one and two respectively.
And on the rare occasion he was handed the opportunity to drive forward, the Croatian successfully completed both of his dribble attempts, with Porro not carrying out any dribbles throughout the 90 minutes.
The hugely talented Perisic has all the experience in the world to try and deal with the Rashford threat, while his attacking credentials are clear for all to see, with only four players boasting more assists than his seven this season, according to the official Premier League website.
In other Tottenham news, one youngster has been told to put himself in the shop window as his future in North London hangs in the balance.