Tottenham saw plenty of possession but created little.

That description could be applied to a number of games over the season so far, particularly the last two Premier League games against Hull and Everton.

The early-season hope has been extinguished – and if it hasn't, it should. The top four isn’t beyond Spurs, but the league title is. It doesn’t matter who you are, titles aren’t won off the back of one transfer window.

But it was easy to see why there was so much excitement generated at White Hart Lane. The majority of Spurs’ acquisitions this summer had been attack-minded players, each looking to play their own part in replacing the output of Gareth Bale. And why not? How often is one better than four or five?

Spurs, however, haven’t struck a balance yet. It may be all well and good to talk up the team’s current position in the league table. With 20 points, they’re currently one ahead of free-spending Manchester City, albeit with a greatly inferior goal difference. Though that is obviously owed to City’s hammering of Norwich on the weekend.

The point is, Tottenham still have some way to go. If other teams are sitting in a precarious position, whether it be due to a lack of depth or an inexperienced manager, why does the same rule of thinking not apply to Tottenham’s inability to convert possession into goals?

[cat_link cat="tottenham" type="list"]

It’s November. I, like many I’m sure, explored the reasons for Erik Lamela’s omission from the starting XI in the past. The Argentinean is yet to start a Premier League game, despite being the club’s record transfer. Soldado, too, needed some defence for the fact that only one of his Premier League goals didn’t come from the penalty spot. But as I said, it’s November; how much longer do the excuses wash?

Tottenham’s inability to create isn’t a problem that stretches into the realm of the tactically fluent. Quite simply Spurs don’t have a playmaker. In the absence of one last season, namely Luka Modric, Gareth Bale became the difference maker. This time, we’re struggling to see anything similar.

Against Everton, Lamela and Christian Eriksen remained on the bench. Prior to the reintroduction of Aaron Lennon, it was questioned whether he’d replace Andros Townsend on the right flank. Instead, Andre Villas-Boas opted for both, fielding two wingers who would now look to cut inside onto their favoured foot instead of providing needed width. If Everton was seen as too much of a tricky away tie to field a creative outlet over one of the two wingers, then what exactly is the point of a double-pivot in Sandro and Paulinho?

Bayern Munich formed a double-pivot with Bastian Schweinsteiger and Javi Martinez last season, allowing them to capture the treble. But both of those players offered far more than Tottenham’s duo, whoever it may be.

There’s no bridge from the midfield to the attack. Isn’t it slightly odd that Jan Vertonghen, a defender, offered some of Tottenham’s best moments in front of goal? As for Lewis Holtby: he’s good, he offers another option and a more than capable body, but he’s not the midfielder who will dictate play and carve out chances for forwards.

Villas-Boas has been praised numerous times for being tactically progressive. He’ll tinker with the team’s setup far more than his predecessor. But why is there such a reluctance to go for the win? On the two recent league games alone, Tottenham scored once, and that came extremely late in a game via a penalty. You simply can’t get by with that mentality. Tottenham may be defensively disciplined, but others will outscore them, whether it’s in a game or on the league table.

Some may say that this is just the beginning and when it falls into place Spurs will kick on. Well that’s the point of this: when do they find that balance and kick on?

Lamela is the most gifted attacker in the Tottenham squad. If he had remained at Roma, he’d be one of Rudi Garcia’s integral pieces and a regular starter. There is no reason, from a tactical perspective, to keep him out of the team. Above all, he’ll offer a good deal of excitement to what has been a handful of tedious games.

Have Spurs' performances been a worry?

Join the debate below