Chadder View: Ange Postecoglou should rest Tottenham striker Richarlison v Brighton despite goalscoring form
Matthew Chadder is a lifelong Tottenham fan who grew up just down the road from his beloved club in North London. He’s now putting his passion for Spurs into words with a daily fan view for Tottenham News…
It seems crazy to suggest that a striker with four goals in three games should be dropped, but that is exactly what I believe Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou should do when it comes to Richarlison.
The Brazillian has completely turned his fortunes around in north London in recent weeks.
I was somebody who was calling for the 26-year-old to be sold as early as January, and wrote about that exact belief in a ‘Fan View’ I put together not too long ago.
However, I suppose that Richarlison must have read my piece and decided to step up his game because it is not often that you see a turnaround in fortune as we have seen with the Brazil international.
Sometimes all it takes is one goal, and that certainly proved to be the case with Richarlison. I was sitting in the stadium when he got his first against Newcastle United, and you could see the visible transformation in his confidence after that strike. All of a sudden he looked like a real threat, and it was no surprise that he got on the scoresheet again that afternoon.
The real test was how he would follow up his double act, but he passed that test with flying colours, scoring two goals in the two games that followed.
Therefore, it might seem odd that I am suggesting he should be dropped. However, I am not suggesting it as an insult, but rather as a compliment. I believe that he should be dropped to offer him a rest, due to how important he has become to the team.
He was substituted in the 63rd minute against the Toffees and looked to be in some discomfort. As a result, with a home match against in-form Bournemouth to come just a few days later, and an already thin squad which cannot afford to get any thinner, if Richarlison is feeling any discomfort at all, then he should avoid playing through the pain.
Especially for a game like Brighton, playing Son Heung-min up top could prove to be very beneficial. With Roberto De Zerbi’s side at home, and already an attacking team by nature, they will want to go toe-to-toe with Tottenham rather than sitting back and could therefore leave space in behind.
This is exactly where Son thrives, with space to exploit, and it might not be such a bad idea to therefore rest Richarlison and play the South Korea international as a striker against the Seagulls.
With Son heading to the Asia Cup in January, Richarlison will be needed more than ever, especially with the FA Cup getting underway and a tricky trip to face Manchester United at Old Trafford on 14 January.
He can therefore not afford to get injured this week, and managing his minutes must be a priority. The long-term risk of losing him is certainly greater than the benefit he might provide on the south coast.
In other Tottenham news, Postecoglou should axe one zero per cent midfielder against Brighton.