The professional landscape at Tottenham Hotspur currently feels like a collection of brilliant individual parts waiting for the right mechanic to assemble them. While the Premier League table paints a grim picture for the North London side, those inside the training ground at Hotspur Way see a different reality.
One of the most insightful perspectives on this paradox comes from Pape Matar Sarr. The Senegal international has been a consistent presence in the midfield this season, contributing two goals and three assists across seventeen appearances.
Recently, Sarr sat down to discuss the sheer depth of talent within the squad, offering a unique look at who the players themselves consider to be the best among them.
During a recent feature on the Premier League Uncut program, Sarr was challenged to build his “ultimate footballer” using only his Tottenham teammates. It is a classic exercise that often reveals the internal hierarchy of a dressing room.
When it came to pure speed, Sarr didn’t hesitate to select Micky van de Ven. The Dutch defender has become famous for his recovery pace, often clocked as one of the fastest players in the entire league.
For shooting ability, Sarr looked toward James Maddison, noting the midfielder’s clinical edge from distance and set pieces. Perhaps most interestingly, he chose club captain Cristian Romero for passing, highlighting the Argentine’s underrated ability to dictate play from the back.
However, the most talked-about selection was in the dribbling category. Tottenham’s squad is not short on flair; it boasts the likes of Mohammed Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski, and the creative spark of Xavi Simons.
Yet, Sarr bypassed these established stars to name Wilson Odobert as the ultimate dribbler. This pick raised eyebrows among the fanbase, as Odobert is often seen as a developing talent rather than the finished article. To his teammates, however, the young Frenchman possesses a level of ball control and agility that sets him apart even in a squad filled with international superstars.
It is a testament to the high regard in which Odobert is held behind the scenes, suggesting that his ceiling is significantly higher than many outsiders realize.
To round out his perfect player, Sarr returned to Romero for defensive traits and selected Kevin Danso as the blueprint for physical strength. This combination of speed, vision, and raw power describes a player that any manager would dream of coaching.
The tragedy for Tottenham, however, is that this “ultimate player” exists only in theory. In reality, the squad has struggled to translate these individual gifts into a cohesive team unit.
Under the previous management of Thomas Frank, the team often looked like a group of talented strangers. The hope now rests on the shoulders of interim boss Igor Tudor, whose primary task is to find the tactical “glue” that can bind these diverse skill sets together.
Tudor’s arrival has been greeted with a mix of excitement and desperation. With the club sitting precariously close to the relegation zone, there is no more room for underperformance.
The manager is known for a disciplined, high-intensity style that requires every player to understand their specific role. For a team that has relied too heavily on individual brilliance, this shift toward a more structured system could be exactly what is needed to climb the table.
Unfortunately, Tudor’s debut in the North London derby against Arsenal comes at a time when his options are severely limited. The very talent Sarr praised is currently largely unavailable. James Maddison’s creative passing is missing due to injury, and the “ultimate dribbler” Wilson Odobert is also confined to the treatment room.
Kevin Danso, the physical anchor of the defense, remains sidelined, while Cristian Romero Sarr’s choice for passing and defending is forced to watch from the stands due to a suspension.
| Attribute | Sarr’s Choice | Current Status |
| Pace | Micky van de Ven | Available |
| Shooting | James Maddison | Injured |
| Passing | Cristian Romero | Suspended |
| Dribbling | Wilson Odobert | Injured |
| Defending | Cristian Romero | Suspended |
| Physicality | Kevin Danso | Injured |
This injury crisis has forced Tudor into a difficult position. He must prepare for a high-stakes derby using a squad that is missing its most influential leaders and its most creative sparks. It is a trial by fire that will test the Croatian’s tactical flexibility.
For the fans, the frustration remains: they know the talent is there, as Sarr so clearly outlined, but they have yet to see it all on the pitch at the same time.
As the derby approaches, the focus moves from individual highlights to collective survival. The “ultimate footballer” that Sarr built would surely dominate any league in the world, but until Tottenham can find a way to keep their stars healthy and synchronized, they remain a sleeping giant with a very loud alarm clock ringing in the form of a relegation battle.
The coming weeks will reveal if Tudor can work a miracle with the players he has left, or if the “ton of talent” Sarr spoke about will remain a theoretical asset in a disappointing season.
