0 dribbles, 15x ball lost: Ange must drop 5/10 Spurs dud who was as bad as Emerson – opinion

Tottenham Hotspur suffered their third successive Premier League loss following an uninspired and uninspiring display against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, with Ange Postecoglou’s frustrations from previous weeks spilling out.

Spurs may be fifth in the rankings, but the issues are building as expectations of returning to Europe’s elite are snatched away as if by an unseen string, with familiar figure Mauricio Pochettino the latest architect of Tottenham’s downward spiral.

Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou
Liverpool awaits at Anfield on Sunday, and Manchester City will go down to N17 in a few games, and given Tottenham’s feeble, melancholy performance against Chelsea, optimism will be in short supply for an outfit limping to the finish line.

Postecoglou said his squad lacked “belief and conviction,” but the struggles of stand-in star Emerson Royal exposed the most pressing problem coming into the last three games.

Emerson’s performance vs Chelsea

Tottenham were struck a devastating double blow recently when first-choice left-back Destiny Udogie suffered a season-ending injury, followed by second-choice left-back Ben Davies’ injury, leaving Emerson as the best option for the post.

Noni Madueke tormented him down the wing against Chelsea, tearing him apart with speed and directness in a ferocious performance that highlighted his weaknesses.

Not his best hour – or hour and a half, more specifically. Emerson, who is out of position, will most certainly feel disgruntled that he has been scapegoated to some extent, but the reality remains that he is not taking his chances at Tottenham.

While Emerson was forced into a left-sided role, Dejan Kulusevski found himself in a new position, but with more confidence that he had the ability to naturally fit him as the No. 10, replacing the failing James Maddison.

He failed to impress.

Why Spurs Must Drop Dejan Kulusevski

Kulusevski has been a standout component of Postecoglou’s side this season, but he hasn’t been delivering high-quality performances of late, including one of his poorest outings as the No. 10 on Thursday night.

Spurs were both cowardly and toothless, and the lack of creativity resulted from the Swede’s troubles, finishing 90 minutes and producing two vital passes but overall having a terrible evening, winning just one duel while competing 11 and incurring four fouls, according to Sofascore.

Following Tottenham’s loss, Dejan Kulusevski. Furthermore, Kulusevski lost possession 15 times, attempted just one shot (blocked), and did not try a single dribble, demonstrating that he was at the center of a disorganized, bad team effort.

In his post-match player ratings, football.london’s Rob Guest gave the £110,000-per-week Lilywhite a 5/10 match rating, writing: ‘Handed a start in his preferred No.10 role with James Maddison on the bench but did very little in the first half to influence things in the final third when in possession.

Had more of an impact in the second half, making several strong runs forward before shifting to the right flank after Maddison’s entrance.

Such statements emphasize his progress when shifted into his natural position, but it is evident that Maddison must restore his starting berth going forward, with Brennan Johnson’s speed preferred on the right side against Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.

Tottenham will need to think quickly in order to discover some healing powers and regain form against Liverpool on Merseyside.

However, Kulusevski must not be put in the No. 10 position again. The energetic midfielder has numerous talents and was at the core of Tottenham’s early-season success, but he failed his test for a deeper, central creative position, and it’s clear that Postecoglou will need to shuffle the pack again on Sunday.

Read Also: What people close to James Maddison are now so confused by at Tottenham recently

Read Also: Ange could solve Spurs Werner blow by handing teen superstar his senior debut – opinion

Read Also: ‘I’m not going to lie’: Michail Antonio makes honest admission about Tottenham this season