Transformed Tottenham pair Fernando Llorente and Lucas Moura at last show they can play key role this season

Looking up: Lucas Moura scores with Fernando Llorente leading the applause
AP

What a difference a pre-season makes. Fernando Llorente and Lucas Moura scored first-half doubles as depleted Tottenham thrashed AS Roma in their first friendly of the summer.

Spurs are in the US without World Cup-winner Hugo Lloris and their eight losing semi-finalists from England and Belgium, but Llorente and Moura were unrecognisable from the players who struggled to make any sort of impact last season, while Erik Lamela and Serge Aurier also impressed.

None of the four had a pre-season under Mauricio Pochettino last year, with Llorente and Aurier joining on deadline day, Moura a January signing and Lamela sidelined with hip problems until October.

This was only a friendly — and Roma were barely recognisable from the side that lost to Liverpool in the Champions League semi-final — but the quartet’s performances underlined the benefit of a pre-season programme and suggested they can be far more important to Tottenham next season.

While encouraging, this only begs the question of why Spurs are again leaving this summer’s transfer business so late. They are the only top-six club yet to make a summer signing, despite Pochettino’s repeated calls to do things differently this year.

The Spurs manager has blamed his new signings’ struggles — notably Llorente and Aurier last season and Moussa Sissoko the year before — on their late business. As it stands, any new additions will not play a big part in this pre-season so it would be no surprise if they also needed time to adapt. Llorente looked leaner, sharper and simply better than at any point last year and it was hard to say which was more surprising — his two instinctive, poacher’s finishes or a pirouette away from two Roma players in the first half.

He rose above Kostas Manolas in the eighth minute to cancel out Patrik Schick’s early opener before poking home from close range to make it 2-1.

The 33-year-old was replaced on the hour by Son Heung-min and, if he maintains this form against Barcelona and AC Milan, he could yet start ahead of the South Korean if Harry Kane is not ready to face Newcastle on August 11. Moura also made a case for inclusion with an assist for Llorente’s second goal, followed by a brave header and a low finish, ensuring the match was effectively over by half-time.

The Brazilian arrived at Spurs in mid-season from Paris St German and struggled to adjust to the Premier League. But in front of 18,865 supporters at the SDCCU Stadium — a creaking mass of concrete that last hosted a professional sports match on 1 January 2016 — he was skilful, direct and, for Roma’s defenders, terrifying.

He finally looked like the player who was coveted by Manchester United before joining PSG in 2013.

Lamela and Aurier, meanwhile, both spoke on the eve of the game about their desire to make fresh starts. Aurier had an unconvincing and frequently erratic maiden year in England and Lamela’s hip problems left him fearing he would never play again.

Aurier’s fine cross for Moura’s first goal suggested he can challenge England World Cup star Kieran Trippier for the right-back spot.

Lamela was his usual blend of hard running and trickery. The Argentina has promised to “make up for lost time” this season after missing 13 months through injury and he made Spurs’ second goal.

Christian Eriksen showed no ill-effects from helping Denmark to the last 16 of the World Cup, hitting the post in a fine showing.

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