Kulusevski must be axed at half-time v Bodo/Glimt to avoid Tottenham sabotage
Ange Postecoglou must drag Dejan Kulusevski off at half-time against Bodo/Glimt on Thursday to avoid any heartbreak for Tottenham.
Spurs are on course to book their ticket to Bilbao, as they lead Bodo/Glimt 3-1 on aggregate in their UEFA Europa League semi-final tie.
The North London giants only need to defend their two-goal lead for 45 more minutes to qualify for the final and have a shot at winning a European trophy.
However, Postecoglou cannot afford to rest on his laurels after seeing Bodo/Glimt dominate possession against his side in the first half of the second leg clash on 8 May.
Kulusevski on sabotage mission against Bodo/Glimt
Despite Tottenham keeping Bodo/Glimt at bay so far, some players failed to impress with their performances in the first half.
Kulusevski is among those who have left much to be desired after managing only 12 touches in the first 45 minutes [FotMob].
The Sweden international has clearly struggled to get on the ball, while also being ineffective when he does have the ball.
He has only played six passes so far in the game, with five of them finding their target with 83 per cent accuracy.
| Passes | Touches | Accurate Crosses | Tackles Won | Duels Won | Defensive Actions |
| 5/6 (83%) | 12 | 0/2 (0%) | 0/0 | 0/0 | 2 |
It is worth noting that none of those passes have been played into the final third, suggesting how ineffective Kulusevski has been.
The attacker has also been outrun by his Bodo/Glimt counterparts on a few occasions already, and Postecoglou cannot afford to have such passengers in his team for such a crucial game.
Both of his attempted crosses have failed to find their target, while he is yet to attempt a tackle or duel.
Tottenham could bring Pape Matar Sarr on
Postecoglou need his players to be fighting for every ball, and that is why he must axe Kulusevski at half-time against Bodo/Glimt.
It is worth noting that the Greek-Australian tactician has Pape Matar Sarr on his bench among other players.
Sarr could offer Spurs more defensive stability than Kulusevski, who has left much to be desired defensively.