James Maddison slammed after Tottenham loss v Arsenal, Postecoglou told to act

Bryan King claims James Maddison will need to turn his Tottenham performances around if he wants to earn another England cap.

The ex-Spurs scout wasn't surprised to see the midfielder hooked during the North London derby.

Maddison struggled to make an impact as Arsenal claimed a 1-0 win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday (15 September).

And King - speaking exclusively to Tottenham News - believes a player of his quality should be offering much more, which is also down to Ange Postecoglou and Spurs' coaches.

"Maddison has got to up his game or he won't be getting another England call-up," King said.

"We didn't really see him at all. I thought his performance was average. A player of his quality, you expect him to take the game by the scruff of the neck.

"However, he didn't, we hardly saw him. Therefore, I don't think it was a surprise that he came off, and I don't think it was to him either by the looks of it. He just needs to get back to playing football.

"I watch him and he doesn't get in the game like he used to. These are the things which he and the coaches need to start working on.

"A player of his so-called quality has got to be instrumental in controlling the game. However, he certainly wasn't against Arsenal."

James Maddison struggles for Tottenham against Arsenal

In truth, Maddison has struggled throughout much of 2024.

He made a bright start to life in North London. However, since sustaining an injury last November, he hasn't been able to quite get back to his best. If things don't change soon, Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou might be considering making a change.

As a result of his lacklustre performances this year, he missed out on the England squad which reached the final of the 2024 UEFA European Championship.

And it seems as though he has carried the hangover from that into this brand-new season.

In other Tottenham news, John Wenham has shared behind-the-scenes talk he has heard about Jamie Donley.

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