‘I’m going to backtrack’ – Journalist has changed his mind about Spurs star

Sky Sports’ Michael Bridge has admitted that he did not think Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was at the required level, but he has since changed his mind about the Dane in light of his performances this season.

Hojbjerg tended to split opinion among the Spurs fanbase until the summer, with many Tottenham fans not being too worried about the prospect of replacing him when he was mooted as a target for Real Madrid during the summer transfer window (Telegraph).

However, the 27-year-old has undoubtedly been one of the North London club’s most consistent performers this season, having formed a formidable partnership in the middle of the park with Rodrigo Bentancur.

Both players have continued to be an indispensable part of Antonio Conte’s starting eleven so far this year.

Bridge admitted that he was critical of the former Southampton man last season but conceded that the midfielder’s struggles last term could have been down to fatigue.

The journalist told GiveMeSport: “I myself have criticised Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the past, I’ve said he’s not the required level. But I’m going to backtrack a little bit.

“I think the problem with Hojbjerg last season was he played too many games. And as my friend said, Mourinho and Conte can’t be wrong, and they are right because at the end of the game, I used to see Mourinho sort of grab Hojbjerg and give it ‘a yes’, and you see that with Conte as well.

“He’s just a guy you’d want in the trenches with you as well.”

Spurs Web Opinion

Despite what the stats say about Hojbjerg’s pass completion, the eye test clearly tells me that the Dane is still a little inconsistent with his passing. While he is capable of playing sublime through balls, he is also equally capable of misplacing easy passes.

However, having said that, his engine, tactical awareness, and composure on the ball, make him a formidable player and he is ideally suited to Conte’s system. It is great to see that he is now getting the plaudits he deserves from Spurs fans.

Related Topics