A recurring theme with this club has been the shortfall between expectations surrounding our defense and what the players were able to actually deliver. Not so many seasons ago, Tottenham were blessed with one of the best backlines in the Premier League.
Kyle Walker, Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen and Danny Rose were very highly thought of. The Belgians were of a certain age, and the Premier League became too much physically. Spurs sold Kyle Walker to Manchester City for an irresistible amount, and Danny Rose struggled afterward.
The truth is, Spurs never really did enough to replace these great players, and we are now staring at a defensive group that is not highly thought of at all. Cristian Romero has been a notable improvement, but that’s just one man. As we saw against West Ham in yesterday’s friendly, it isn’t enough, and Spurs new goalie conceded three on his debut.
Big Ange Postecoglou was asked about this situation and whether there was a plan in place for new centre-back options. The gaffer admitted that discussions had already been underway for some time, telling Football London:
“Yeah, I think that’s definitely our intention, absolutely. We’ve been working on it for a while and we’ll definitely try to get it done as quickly as possible,” he said.
HH Says: What is so complex, that this crucial aspect of succession planning is still in a state of limbo, why are the new players not with the rest of the squad in Australia? We have a tonne of money as outlined very clearly by Deloitte, and this is another season that feels as if the coach is going to be undermined by the owners.
