Despite reports suggesting that Tottenham Hotspur’s match against Crystal Palace would be postponed due to The Eagles having more positive COVID-19 cases, the fixture went ahead as scheduled.
The north London club went on to defeat Crystal Palace, and one of the marquee players in the match and overall since the arrival of Antonio Conte is Eric Dier. Former Tottenham player and manager Glenn Hoddle praised Conte for getting the most out of Dier.
“Losing a couple of games (to Covid) has allowed him, so I hear, to get the fitness he wanted in them. He couldn’t with all the fixtures,” Hoddle said to the Premier League’s website.
“They look more solid. He’s getting a tune out of Dier. Dier in a back three looks like a different player than he has done in the last few seasons.”
Dier appeared to be one of the players that might depart following the hiring of Conte. However, the 27-year-old has impressed since the Italian tactician took over the reins as manager.
In his last few performances against Brentford, Liverpool, and Crystal Palace, Dier has made seven clearances on the defensive side of the ball and has connected with his long passes going 25 for 31 in those three matches for Spurs.
The January transfer window opens in a couple of days, and Dier is making a case to remain with Tottenham at least through the summer.
I said it time over. Dier has a chance of becoming Spurs Captain than being traded. There is something about him and Davies that somehow are attracted by managers. We can debate whether or not they are good enough, but managers come and goes and they seem to have the same opinion of Dier. They seem to see something in him that needs to unlock. Hopefully Conte does the job with him this time as he is the only one so far to actually say it out loud.