It was one other depressing sport for Tottenham Hotspur final evening.
Ange Postecoglou’s facet travelled to Stamford Bridge hoping to show issues round with what would have been an unlikely win, however as a substitute of doing that, they virtually handed Chelsea all three factors.
It was a wholly lifeless efficiency from the North Londoners and one that might nicely seal the supervisor’s destiny.
One of many worst shows got here from James Maddison, who continues to frustrate in the course of the park, which is one thing he may not be capable to do for an excessive amount of longer, as Hotspur Method is at the moment brewing the proper substitute.
Maddison’s irritating Spurs profession
When Tottenham accomplished the £40m signing of Maddison in the summertime of 2023, there was loads of comprehensible pleasure from followers as he had simply produced 19 purpose involvements for a relegated Leicester Metropolis.
His preliminary kind for the North Londoners justified this pleasure in addition to he produced eight purpose involvements in his first ten league video games for the membership, however then he picked up an ankle harm in opposition to Chelsea, and when he returned in late January, the issues started.
As a substitute of being a game-changing midfielder, able to controlling matches and tearing opposition defences to shreds, he grew to become way more passive, lacklustre and easily ineffective, selecting up simply 5 purpose involvements throughout his ultimate 17 league appearances.
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This season has been simply as irritating, as whereas he has managed to attain 11 targets and supply seven assists in simply 39 video games, he continues to place in extremely inconsistent performances.
One week, he is just like the participant we noticed at the beginning of final season, after which within the subsequent, he is a complete passenger.
We noticed the latter within the sport final evening, as regardless that it was a derby between two groups and fanbases who don’t like each other, he was virtually nameless in the course of the park, coming off within the 81st minute with no targets or assists, having misplaced 5 out of 5 duels and with a mixed anticipated purpose and assists determine of simply 0.11, which is nowhere ok for the staff’s artistic hub.
It is arduous to see the place Maddison goes from right here, as no person doubts his expertise, however he’s seemingly unable to supply persistently sufficient for a prime facet, and if he is not cautious, he might see himself changed by probably the most thrilling gamers at the moment within the academy.
The Spurs academy star who might substitute Maddison
Whereas Mikey Moore, Lucas Bergvall and Archie Grey have all made a mark on the primary staff this season, we might see an much more thrilling teenager do the identical subsequent yr: Lucá Williams-Barnett.
The 17-year-old phenom is undoubtedly essentially the most promising prospect within the academy for the time being and might be battling Maddison for a spot because the midfield’s chief creator sooner somewhat than later.
Now, that may sound like hyperbole, however we actually do not assume it’s, as in simply 17 appearances this season, totalling 1375 minutes, the younger maestro has already amassed a frankly absurd haul of 18 targets and 9 assists.
|
Williams-Barnett’s 24/25 |
|
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
17 |
|
Begins |
16 |
|
Minutes |
1375′ |
|
Objectives |
18 |
|
Assists |
9 |
|
Purpose Involvements per Match |
1.58 |
|
Minutes per Purpose Involvement |
50.92′ |
|
All Stats through Transfermarkt |
|
Which means he’s at the moment averaging 1.58 purpose involvements each sport, or one each 50.92 minutes, which is the form of unimaginable output that might and actually ought to see him launched into the primary staff subsequent season.
Furthermore, the Luton-born gem can be extremely versatile and has made appearances in left midfield, on each wings and even up prime, resulting in academy professional and pundit John Wenham to explain him as a “cheat-code.”
Finally, Maddison may nonetheless have yet another season of being the staff’s recognised ten purely right down to the age of Williams-Barnett, but when he does not massively enhance quickly, then the teenage sensation might take his spot within the coming years, and, based mostly on his output within the academy, we would not be stunned to see that occur.
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