da dobrowin： Speaking to Football.London, Jermaine Jenas has urged Tottenham to strengthen at full-back this summer.
What did he say?
da brdice： With one game remaining in the Premier League, the north London side can still qualify for the Europa League next season, provided they get a result against Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.
And with Jose Mourinho no doubt keen on shaping this squad in his own image, Jenas believes that bringing in two dynamic full-backs could drastically change how Spurs perform on the pitch.
Is it Mido or Pedro Mendes? This Spurs quiz will separate the loyal from the fake…
World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%
He said: “I personally would be looking at two full-backs if I was Jose. If that’s all the money I have to spend this summer, that’s where I’d spend it because I’d be saying I’ve got Toby Alderweireld, Davinson Sanchez and Jan Vertonghen, give him at least until January or next year, and then I could start working on my defence.
“They need more security in the wider areas, something a little bit stronger and on the front foot to cause problems. At the minute they don’t have that in those areas and that is where I’d start. I do think that would change Tottenham and their style of play drastically if they get two new full-backs. Spurs don’t have anywhere near enough quality or the dynamic element that they need in the league right now. That’s where I would start right now.”
Transformation
When Spurs were in their pomp under Mauricio Pochettino, both Kyle Walker and Danny Rose offered the Lilywhites the kind of attacking intent that made them such an exciting team to watch.
The pace, the overlapping runs, the dangerous deliveries into the area. It’s things they have well and truly lost in these past couple of years, and as Jenas points out, there’s a major absence in quality in the full-back positions at Spurs.
You only have to look at Premier League champions Liverpool to just see the kind of effect two world-class full-backs can have on a team, with both Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold providing a shed-load of assists between them – this season alone has seen them combine for 26 assists across all competitions.
So whilst on the surface, claiming that he would invest all of his money on two full-backs seems like a strange thing to say, Jenas certainly has somewhat of a point.