First and foremost, the defence should be left untouched. Dejan, Sol, Linvoy and Glen have all done very well so far this season and even though they have finally conceded Pompey still boast the best defensive record in the division.
However the midfield could well be tampered with as Niko Kranjcar, Manuel Fernandes, Rudolphe Douala and Ognjen Koroman all look for their first starts of the season. That's a whole midfield there but Harry's problem is made a little easier with the fact that Douala is currently suffering a torn hamstring so it's likely that Matthew Taylor will continue on the left for the time being.
Sean Davis and Pedro Mendes currently occupy the centre midfield places in the team where Kranjcar and Fernandes also naturally play. I think it be harsh to drop either player as Davis has been industrious in his holding role, getting into players and picking out some decent passes. He also rates as our top midfielder in the Actim index and whilst stats shouldn't be taken as gospel, that has to count for something.
Pedro Mendes was our best player on Monday in my opinion as he looks to have shaken off the Thatcher incident completely. He gives us a certain zip around the field and can pick out a quality pass but sometimes sits too far back and Niko Kranjcar (or "Crunchie") is seen as more of a creative, attacking player. Even so, it would be pretty harsh to drop Mendes from the team given his current performances.
If I was the manager (and you can be thankful that I'm not!) then I would keep Davis and Mendes in the centre for the trip to Spurs. Not only do they give us that added steel in the centre of the park which has proved successful away from home but they are also former Tottenham players and would surely have a point to prove to Martin Jol after he let them go in January.
After the Spurs game, that might be the time to change the central personnel to suit a more attacking game at home which would probably mean Kranjcar coming in for either of them. You can bet that Harry will want to play Fernandes too and he has shown his quality in a blue shirt so far, so when he is fully fit we could have a special player on our hands and he would end up taking the place of either Davis or Mendes for sure. We could end up playing a different core for our next home game, which might end up being a bad move but I guess we'll never find out unless Harry tries.
Gary O'Neil's performances have come under scrutiny recently and maybe he could make way for one of the new boys? I originally stated his case for not performing so well as well as the possibility of him being dropped in this article however I ended up going into so much depth that it would have made this current article too big therefore I have put my thoughts on O'Neil in another piece.
Back to the current topic and Andy Cole is waiting in the wings to get a starting position in the team and Harry has also told the press of his regret for not having him on the bench. I think he'll force his way into the starting line up sooner rather than later but it's just a case of who Harry will drop.
Does he drop Benjani who can get in behind defenders but can't do the easy part of sticking the ball in the back of the net? Does he drop Kanu and risk him losing confidence and becoming useless for the rest of the season? Or does he drop them both and go with Lua Lua and Cole up front?
I know a lot of fans who'd like to see Benjani partnered with Andy Cole up front and I'd also be happy with that. Mr. Mwaruwari is a great team player and can create chances for others and I think a natural goal poacher like Andy Cole would thrive on the service and support he would recieve from Benjani and because Cole knows where the goal is, the qualities of the two can combine to form a deadly partnership.
That's not to say Lua Lua and Kanu shouldn't get a look in. Both players are capable of changing a game coming off the bench and no doubt they'll get to start if/when injuries happen.
It's a good problem to have, knowing that we have quality in midfield and up front so if need be, Harry can change things round and it will be up to him to get the balance right and pick the right players for each game. Here's hoping that the eventual tinkering doesn't result in too many dropped points.