Alasdair Gold recently spoke via a Football London podcast about the struggles of Steven Bergwijn at Tottenham.
Bergwijn joined Tottenham in the last January transfer window for £27 million.
He was one of the first signings that the club made under Jose Mourinho, but he doesn’t seem to figure in the manager’s plans currently.
The attacker had been in fine form for PSV, which prompted Spurs to splash the cash on him, but Gold reveals that he wasn’t Mourinho’s first choice and that is why he is struggling to feature for the Portuguese manager.
As Tottenham added new players to their team in the last transfer window, Bergwijn is one player that has seen his playing time affected.
Although Gareth Bale is yet to start a league game for the club, the Dutchman is still struggling to feature.
Gold claims that Mourinho is more interested in playing Erik Lamela and Lucas Moura instead of the Dutchman because those players offer more in terms of work-rate as well as playing as full-backs.
Adding that unless Bergwijn adds those attributes to his game, he probably will remain on the sidelines.
Gold said: “We know he wasn’t a Mourinho signing, he wasn’t someone that Mourinho wanted as his first choice. He very publicly, and perhaps probably shouldn’t have said, but he said that.
“I think [Erik] Lamela and Lucas [Moura], he trusts with the work rate aspect of things and to almost be like full-backs as well as wingers.
“Until Bergwijn has that in his locker, I don’t think you’ll see him as a regular.”
Exactly, giving up the identity to win something had better mean you win something!
I just wonder about these fans that say it’s “win at all costs” all of a sudden and the style of play is utterly irrelevant. What have they been doing for the last however many decades?
I never heard anyone of the very many the Spurs fans I know make calls to play a different, less attractive way to win before Jose came in.
Ok, we accept that Jose is the manager, obviously get behind the team fully. However the focus has now shifted, we are now.told it’s all about winning and nothing else. So as you say, unless we win something big i’ll be asking “what was the point?” And so will many others… if your gonna sell your soul it has to be worth the sacrifice. Mr Chelsea had better come up with the goods, with Sonny, Bale, Kane and Tanguy I think he should win something.
100% agree with your comments – every word. Winning is important, but I am not a Spurs fan because we win lots…I am a Spurs fan because more often than not, we the most entertaining team in the league. This is a not season – we better win something or it will be all the boredom for same result.
I don’t care if Jose fails but I care if the club does so I have to go with the club. I love Bale, Sonny and Kane particularly and back all the players. I think I will also love Tanguy in time, he’s gonna be a superhero for us.
Even if the football isn’t good, if we win the title with Jose it will be fantastic and i’ll be forever grateful. Just as I am to Poch for what he did and to lay the foundations.
Firesale Danny!! 😂
I respect Jose and if he wins something with us I’ll genuinely say “thanks Mr Chelsea”.
I just feel this idea that Poch suddenly wasn’t actually that good at all, is based on rating him being an affront to backing Jose. They are polar opposites in terms of the football played and their demeanour.
However, both highly respect each other and have a good relationship. So why fans should overly demonise one over the other is beyond me. It’s fairly immature.
I agree 100%, you can think Poch was brilliant and the football was great and you can be pragmatic enough to want Jose to win stuff for us too.
Poch loves Tottenham and I love Poch. Because I love Tottenham I want Jose to win us something too. Nothing takes away what Poch achieved for us, Jose wouldn’t even at the club without Poch. Redknapp did a decent job too only with lots of journeyman players, Poch took us to the next level.
We aren’t back there yet either, we probably will get there in a different way under Jose.
That’s what grownups think anyway…
😂 brilliant.
I’ll always bang the drum for Poch. I respect Jose of course but I’m not a fan of the footy.
The last two wins against Brighton and Burnley are fairly typical of Jose. If we win big playing that way then fair enough but it’s hardly in line with the club’s identity. I won’t care too much if we win the league of course.
I think Poch knows that the timing of the stadium move and Levy’s refusal to do anything significant transfer wise was the main issue. That must have been massively frustrating.
Poch says he loves the club and he wishes Jose does well and wins something for us. Yet these c*nts still dislike the guy. Real fans or Mr Chelsea fans?
Clearly not bothered about the club having their identity, this lot would have been as happy with George Graham. I respected Graham but we were dull as dishwater under him. If it weren’t for Ginola we’d have been unwatchable…
One of our greatest ever players living legend Jimmy Greaves was apparently accused by Bill Nic of a lack of work rate but he did the talking with his boots!!!
I have given up banging this drum on here mate. They talk about poch like a cheating ex. As though he had no good attributes and we spent 5yrs in hell. Now we have this new girlfriend, she far more boring but is consistently there and in the past she given previous partners wonderful gifts.
Stupid question there is no answer to.
Poch was just a decent coach. He ain’t the don manager people are making him out to be. So he got us top fours. That’s because he wasn’t focusing on anything else. “He got us believing again” rubbish. I always believed. Blessup arry rednapp. Name me a big club that bangs on about a past manager who won them nothing. Its embarrassing. Tottenham praising failure. Shameful
What have I been wrong about? Unlike you. You chat pure $h!t. You’re the one who talks out of his ar$e. Don’t even know how to support the football club. You’re a joke. Bout you want Jose to win something” stop lie. You want him to fail. Not even man enough to own it.
Absofrigginlutely. 50% off fire sales, (Dan’s trigger point for a spend up) Try b4 you buy Loans(never done before, why train other teams players. Make them better Then send them home to play against you)
In saying that we are in a better position now than we have been in a long time.
Why can’t I like/remember Poch (not backed) with a smile on my face (respect) & like Jose (backed Bc of COVID)as well?
COYFS!!!
I’ve been wondering that about a few people on here for a while. Poch loves Tottenham and so do I, and just like Poch I want Jose to win us something. Happy now?
Or are you like that other Poch hater on here that constantly talks out of his a*se. Thinks he can tell people how to support their team, never goes away, only goes cos the ticket is a freebie etc. Can’t lecture other fans on sh*t mate… 😂
We played high intensity under Poch too, relentless fitness levels etc.
The only difference is that Poch’s tactics were more attacking. You’re talking like we were incapable of winning matches playing like that or with Dele in the side. Fact is we did and we were awesome to watch, until Levy stopped buying players for ages and we went stale.
It’s as if you’re pretending that the last four seasons of Champions League and participation and the three seasons of fantastic football didn’t actually happen. Quite disgraceful really… unless you’ve been on Mars.
I don’t care why they let them go, I’m just saying that without the global situation would they even be with us?
Wonky fake.
I’m starting to wonder if he’s actually a THFC supporter at all?
“Jose is too cautious to utilize a player like dele? Perfect example of how hate can make you talk $h!t
He’s just a dumb hater. Some of the $h!t he comes out with.
Both those players were wanted & are with THFC to improve & strengthen squad depth, nobody cares what Benfica or Real’s motives were. (Although they’re both skint & yes, needed to save money!)
José is NOT Mauricio so it’s irrelevant how the PREVIOUS manager played or what he wanted, Mauricio’s ‘golden child’ isn’t José’s!
José doesn’t want slackers, drifters, lazy, show ponies, etc so Dele needs to shape up or ship out as it’s about hard work, effort, work rate, fight, aggression, teamwork, battling, do or die, etc
Not all players are about running themselves into the ground. Poch played a high intensity football and Dele thrived in it. I think Jose is too cautious and defensive to utilise a player like Dele. Even Eden Hazard didn’t fit in with Jose, despite his obvious quality as a player…
At least Dele and Rose were at the club before Jose arrived. What’s Jose’s excuse for buying a player in January for him to be surplus in the summer? Is that good management?
Perhaps Levy didn’t expect the Bale deal or the Vince deals pre-Covid. Both those players are with us because their clubs wanted them out on loan to cut their wage bills.
I wonder what the summers business would have been without Covid? 🤔
That’s exactly it, that’s why Dele isn’t getting a look in, his work rate isn’t good enough, you see it when Dele loses the ball, he does this little skip and turns round a walks. Until he turns round and chases back looking to win back the ball he’ll never be a starter in a Mourinho side, that will be a shame because he has the ability, he has to add the effort to his game. Let’s hope Dele understands that?
May as well get rid of him if he isn’t in the managers plans, like Dele and Danny.