Chadder View: Tottenham must learn from Everton and throw Dorrington or Phillips in at the deep end
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…
What else is an injury crisis good for if it isn’t throwing untested young players in at the deep end? That is exactly what Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou should be thinking.
There is no doubt about it, Spurs have had some of their hardest luck in recent years this season, even by our standards.
By the time January ends, most of the club’s first-team stars will have pretty much missed as much football as they have played this year.
In a year where we have had just league fixtures to contend with, that is quite impressive. The Tottenham medical team are certainly earning their wages this season, that is for sure.
Both Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven will be missing in January, and unless we bring in a new central defender quickly, which let’s face it, is unlikely to happen, Postecoglou will need to find a partner for Ben Davies at the back.
And by taking a quick look around Hotspur Way, there really aren’t many options available to the Australian.
If we were to go through them one by one, it wouldn’t take long at all. Eric Dier’s future clearly lies elsewhere, and there is no point in offering a player with six months left on his contract valuable first-team minutes.
Emerson Royal could certainly do a job, but once again, he is the club’s second-choice right-back and there is not much point playing him alongside Davies when looking at this decision from a long-term point of view.
So what should Postecoglou do instead? He should view this hurdle as a mountain that one of his young players can climb. After all, most supporters, including myself, saw this as a transition season at the beginning of the year, so let’s treat it that way.
Sure, by bringing in either Alfie Dorrington or Ashley Phillips to make their senior debuts, they could make mistakes, but those mistakes will teach them a lot, and allow them to develop in the long run.
Results might take a hit, but that could just as easily happen with Dier or Emerson in that position because, after all, they aren’t the two most reliable players in the Premier League.
Dorrington and Phillips would probably make a mistake or two more than Dier or Emerson, but the upside to their involvement is so much greater.
Everton have had far more difficult circumstances to contend with this year. They have been deducted points and find themselves in a relegation battle once again, with new boys Luton Town breathing down their necks.
Nonetheless, Sean Dyche has trusted and stuck by 21-year-old Jarrad Branthwaite, even in incredibly tough circumstances. Has Branthwaite made mistakes, yes, but his overall contributions have outweighed those errors.
Phillips or Dorrington could become our Branthwaite, they just need the chance to prove it, and what better chance than now, when the options ahead of them are hardly inspiring.
Take a chance, Ange.
In other Tottenham news, one Spurs expert has detailed a “phenomenal body blow” for the club.