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…
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.