Move it Hojbjerg: Ange can fix Bentancur blow by unleashing Spurs’ 6 ft 2 “liability” – opinion

In recent weeks, Ange Postecoglou’s team has suffered greatly following such an incredible start to the season.

Spurs’ unbeaten start to the season has been severely damaged by injuries and suspensions incurred in their Premier League match against Chelsea at the beginning of November. As a result, the team has collapsed into the ground.

Spurs finished eighth last season, which led to the August sale of legendary talisman Harry Kane to Bayern Munich. Ange Postecoglou took over in the summer and quickly restored confidence and unity.

While the first team dominated the early going, Tottenham’s weakness has recently been brutally exposed. This is not an exhaustive list of absences, but Micky van de Ven and James Maddison are out until the new year, and Cristian Romero is still suspended.

To put it mildly, Rodrigo Bentancur’s comeback from an ACL injury has come at the right time. However, on Sunday afternoon, as Spurs lost 2-1 to Aston Villa in London, the Uruguayan midfielder was substituted off with a potentially serious injury.

Rodrigo Bentacur’s Tottenham career so far

Bentancur, who cost £21.5 million when he was signed from Juventus in January 2022, joined forces with Dejan Kulusevski after the Swede finished an initial 18-month loan. Bentancur’s contributions to Tottenham’s Champions League qualification were crucial, as he recorded four assists from 17 Premier League games.

During the 2022–23 season, the 56-cap international substituted assists for goals and saw tremendous success in the early going, amassing five goals and two assists from just 18 games from midfield, which football writer Tom Robinson effusively referred to as a “Rolls-Royce”.

According to Sofascore, the multi-functional star was a huge loss, making up for last year’s goal return with an 85% pass completion percentage, 2.5 tackles, 1.2 clearances, and success on 66% of his attempted dribbles. It’s even more impressive that Postecoglou energised his team during Bentancur’s absence.

After breaking his ACL against Leicester City in February, his thrilling campaign was indeed derailed; the £75k-per-week player has only recently returned, and after four appearances, Matty Cash’s reckless challenge at the weekend raised red flags, with Postecoglou not too happy amidst an imposing list of absences.

Postecoglou stated: “I believe it’s his ankle. It was a mediocre tackle. I felt he got the game going really well. Another injury is the last thing we need. Bentancur has nine injured players, compared to our eight. Ashley Phillips passed away during the week as well. It’s just the circumstances we find ourselves in right now.

It’s unfortunate for the Lilywhites, especially after such a strong campaign opening, but this decline is only temporary, and given the circumstances, it’s crucial to maintain optimism that the future is still very bright.

Eric Dier’s season in numbers

It’s probably safe to say that Dier hasn’t exactly won Postecoglou over thus far, as he didn’t play in either the Premier League or the Carabao Cup before the chaos against Chelsea compelled his inclusion.

The 29-year-old England international saw action in 42 games across all competitions and made 33 starts in the league last season. However, Dier was heavily involved in Spurs’ humiliating 63 goal defeat and was even called a “liability” by reporter Mitch Fretton.

The Portuguese-speaking Englishman, who cost £4 million to sign from Sporting Lisbon in 2014, has made 362 appearances for his team and established himself as a bit of a mainstay, despite recent criticism and an expiring contract at the end of the current campaign.

This season, Dier did manage to draw attention when he came off the bench against Chelsea, putting up a fierce fight as Tottenham, down to nine players, bravely tried to contain Chelsea with the ball.

Alasdair Gold of London gave him an 8 out of 10 for the match and wrote that he was “excellent on his return.”

Eric Dier could stand in in midfield

According to FBref, the £85k-per-week Lililywhite is among the top 11% of positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues for aerial wins, the top 15% for blocks, and the top 22% for assists per 90, indicating some legitimately impressive aspects of his game.

He’s hardworking and determined, even though he can be a little stiff at times. Former manager Mauricio Pochettino has praised him in the past for his flexibility, so now would be a good time to live up to that praise and demonstrate that he can contribute to Postecoglou during the important upcoming period.

In the short term, at least, the 6′ 2″ ace who returns to his former position as the main anchor may be the solution in the middle of the park.

Although Pierre Emile Hojbjerg seems like the more logical choice to start in the midfield next to Yves Bissouma, the Dane is obviously not given a prominent role either. After replacing Bentancur against Unai Emery’s Villa, he was criticized for his “mixed” distribution style, earning a 6/10 match rating from Dan Kilpatrick of the Evening Standard.

Once labeled “reliable” by Conte, Dier might now be able to advance in the game and make an impression for his team, offering some durability to see things through this difficult winter.