Injuries have been a major hinderance to Jose Mourinho in his first six months as Tottenham manager.
Rarely, if ever, has he been able to field his strongest side, and although it was the attacking positions that were hit the hardest, Mourinho previously highlighted the importance of one defensive injury.
“My first game against West Ham, that is the way I was going to develop this team: defend with a back four, attack with a back three. That was the first day of goodbye Ben Davies,” the London Evening Standard quotes Mourinho saying in a February article about the Welshman, who missed nearly three months with an ankle issue. He returned for four games before sitting out the final two before lockdown with a hamstring strain.
The significance that Mourinho places on Davies within his tactical setup makes the 27-year-old more important to the team than he has ever been. After years of being used to keep Danny Rose fresh, and cover for him when injured, Davies now gets his day in the sun.
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Except, most Spurs fans agree that Davies isn’t any better than second choice. This was the general consensus on Twitter…
Lads your never gonna convince me
— Spurz (@SpursTransfer10) May 28, 2020
I have the same viewpoint as Ricky. He’s a good squad player but he’s not good enough to be starting week in week out.
I find this as plain excuse by the man, Davies has since returned from injury & proven that all this claim was nonsense.
— 🦂⚽️🦂MARA (@MaraDinho_10) May 28, 2020
He’s the best 2nd choice left back. That’s all I can say
— Smit Miyani (@Smitizm) May 28, 2020
Ben Davies is one of the worst players I have seen, his weakness apart from being a championship player is his speed, when he runs he literally looks like he’s being pulled backwards 🤔🤪
— glen austin (@glenaustin39) May 29, 2020
Don’t worry he’s seen him since his return from injury! We haven’t won a game 🤣
— Paul Wetherall (@paul_wetherall) May 28, 2020
Jose needs to find out pretty soon how shit Davies really is and get rid
— Kieren Flanagan (@KierenFlanagan) May 28, 2020
Davies is a good squad player; a solid, honest pro who rarely lets the team down. But the moment that he becomes a tactical lynchpin in your team is the moment that you give up on challenging for major honours.
Is there any truth we might have to play Arsenal & West Ham at neutral venues?
Never understood the ‘stick’ for Ben Davies, the lad is totally committed to the club and has stats that measure up to a desperately overrated Rose who has no more to offer this club, yet Ben gets a rough deal with some . A manager comes in who wants to win and soon realises which player he wants to keep, that’s good enough for me.
Looks like Davies is auditioning for the Erik Lamela role as a malingerer. Solid pro would he even make the bench at City or Liverpool? Though he rises in class when compared to his team mate on the other flank.
The last paragraph sums Davies up perfectly. When he signed from Swansea no one thought this is a game changer. He’s up there with Winks. He’ll give 100% because he has to. Any less and the cracks show. Shows how difficult it is to take that next step. Both Davies and Winks are decent EPL players, but that is all. Could Winks take that next step, we’ll see next season.
Good squad player and a good second choice LB. I say keep if he’s not looking to move. Need a first choice LB though.
Strikes a ball really really well does Davies. Should be a corner taker. Not good enough to play for Tottenham though. Being a great professional don’t mean $h!t to me. Sell him.