‘Jose Mourinho doesn’t give youth a chance’. Tell that to Japhet Tanganga.
The 21-year-old defender has burst onto the scene at Spurs with such aplomb that it is difficult to see how he won’t go on to be a huge success.
Is the only thing that could stop him opportunity, or a lack thereof?
Mourinho did use Tanganga consistently after his debut, starting him in 10 of 14 games in all competitions prior to the lockdown. But there is a cynical view that the Portuguese may have been doing this to prove a point to Daniel Levy about a lack of trust in his senior defensive options, and that Tanganga might be dispensed with if Jose is able to get his own players in.
With right-back and centre-back said to be top priorities for the summer window, Tanganga might be demoted to covering across the back four, proving this season that he is capable on the right, left or in the middle.
Nevertheless, if we are in four competitions, he’ll get plenty of game time.
If his progress continues, Mourinho will have to find a place for him in the team sooner than later. We don’t want to let a top-class defender slip through our fingers because he is used like Eric Dier was for years; as a many for any position. That really harmed Dier’s game, in my opinion.
My nirvana in this situation, hopefully by 2021-22, would be for Mourinho to have switched the roles of his full-backs from his current system, with Tanganga tucking in from the right, a role he is perfectly suited for, and Ryan Sessegnon as an auxilary winger, a la Serge Aurier but on the left.
There’s obviously no guarantee that these two top kids will make the grade, but they could solve our full-back dilemma without costing us a penny.
MORE: Spurs Staff Still High On Sessegnon – And So They Should Be
