Jamie Carragher has claimed that one of the main factors in Tottenham Hotspur’s drop off over the last few years is down to their lack of quality in central defence and suggested that Toby Alderweireld is now past his best.
While Alderwiereld and Eric Dier seemed to have forged a formidable partnership at the start of the season, both players have been guilty of some poor displays over the last couple of months.
As a result, Davinson Sanchez has been brought back into the fold but the Colombian has also been guilty of some basic errors at the back.
With Joe Rodon being inexperienced at the top level, it appears as if Jose Mourinho is yet to make up his mind on who his first-choice pairing is at the back.
Dier started alongside Sanchez in the clash against Manchester City on Sunday as Pep Guardiola’s side emerged comfortable 3-0 winners.
Speaking after the match, Carragher pointed out how far Tottenham have deteriorated in defence compared to a few years ago.
The former Liverpool said during Sky Sports’ post-match coverage of the game at the Etihad (as relayed by HITC): “You just think about the team Tottenham had two or three years ago.
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“Jose almost has to change and try to get back to those days of old where they are guaranteed a top-four.
“You just look at the centre-back position where they had Vertonghen and Alderweireld at the peak. For a stage, they were possibly the best centre partnership for a year or two certainly in the Premier League.
“You look at that position now. I think they have four players who play in there and there’s no real standout now. I think Alderweireld is possibly past his best.”
Spurs Web Opinion
Alderweireld and Dier looked really good as a pairing until a couple of months ago as Sissoko and Hojbjerg offered plenty of protection to the backline. Since Jose decided to open up a bit more in an effort to help the side create more chances going forward, our central defenders have all looked distinctly average.
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