OHH NO; A key player will miss the rest on the season due to serious injury
“Very disappointed” – Pardew says Ange needs to start “proper” Spurs player
Former Premier League boss Alan Pardew appeared on TalkSPORT this week to question why Ange Postecoglou isn’t starting one Tottenham player.
Spurs absentee crisis worsens
Rodrigo Bentancur has been most recently added to the Spurs absentee list in another hammer blow for Postecoglou and Spurs. The Uruguayan fell victim to a reckless challenge from Aston Villa defender Matty Cash during Tottenham’s 2-1 defeat to Unai Emery’s side in north London on Sunday, coming after he had only just returned from a lengthy lay-off.
Bentancur joins James Maddison, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Ryan Sessegnon, Manor Solomon, Ashley Phillips and Pape Matar Sarr as the Spurs players either serving supension or injured, with Postecoglou suffering as a result.
Before Tottenham’s 4-1 loss to Chelsea at the start of the month, they were enjoying an impressive 10-game unbeaten run which resulted in Postecoglou winning three Manager of the Month awards back-to-back. However, injuries and suspensions to star players since then have resulted in Spurs taking a major downward trajectory.
They’ve lost three consecutive Premier League games and are enduring their worst run of form since the Antonio Conte era, but their latest defeat to Villa was a pretty unlucky one in all fairness. Spurs created a plethora of openings, and if not for their wastefulness in front of goal, the outcome could’ve been very different.
One player who didn’t take part was Eric Dier, with Emerson Royal and Ben Davies preferred as Postecoglou’s starting centre-back pair.
Pardew suggests Ange needs to start Dier
The Englishman, who is out of contract next summer, could well leave Spurs in January as Bayern Munich reportedly plot a “shock” move for Dier. The fact Tottenham opted for Emerson and Davies against Villa perhaps speaks volumes about Postecoglou’s fondness for Dier as a starter, but Pardew has questioned why on TalkSPORT.
Indeed, Pardew suggests Ange needs to be starting Dier at Spurs, insisting the 29-year-old has enough quality to make a difference.
“I don’t really know where the Dier thing is actually, because I know he’s made some errors in the past, but he’s a proper player,” he told TalkSPORT.
“He’s of a standard where you’d expect him to get a start at this point. I do know his family and knowing the lad a little bit, I’m sure he’s very, very disappointed.”
Since signing from Sporting Lisbon, Dier has been a regular at Spurs, and was a fixture under Conte. Unfortunately, he doesn’t appear to suit Postecoglou’s aggressive high line.
“What I can tell you is that Eric has improved a lot since I arrived,” said Conte on Dier last season. “We are talking about a reliable player, 100 per cent focused in every game. He is not a player who alternates with a big performance then a drop.
“He is providing great continuity in his role and playing every game. I can also tell you he is a really good guy, with great will, desire to work and improve. He knows he has space for improvement and I see every day in his eyes the desire to become stronger, to become a top defender.”
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