Opinion: What is the point of Giovani Lo Celso at Tottenham?

Tottenham fans, I have a simple question… What is the point of have Giovani Lo Celso in this squad?

I mean that genuinely. What is one attribute he brings to the team that we are in desperate need for?

Originally, he was brought in to be the Eriksen replacement, despite what people may suggest. He was supposed to become our creative engine in the middle of the pitch and to relieve some of the workload.

We were so confident that he would be the creative playmaker we needed that we passed up on Bruno Fernandes for him.

However, once he arrived, it was quickly apparent that this would not be the case. Specifically, he is not even a number 10, with very little characteristics that would allow him to be successful in the role.

This is not criticism, many players come to a new club and their roles switch depending on the league, their adaptability and skillset.

So, Gio quickly switched from a number 10, to a player that would play a deeper role linking the play between the defense and attack. My simple question is, how has that gone?

As Spurs fans, after three years in the league, so we actually believe that Gio enhances this team when he plays? Do we miss his creativity when he is not in the squad?

My answer is, no. He has been a massive flop for this club and it is time we collectively admit it. Gio Lo Celso has been getting a pass from our supporters for too long and if he does not show improvement soon it begs the question, why does he keep getting chances?

Let’s dive into the numbers, all of which I pulled from the Premier League website. You know who gets relentless criticism from our fan base and no one speaks out? Harry Winks. Let’s compare their stats.

Since Gio’s arrival, Lo Celso and Winks have played 49 and 48 games respectively. In that time, Gio has scored one Premier League goal and Winks has yet to score. Gio has provided three Premier League assists to Wink’s zero.

This is not to say Winks should start over Gio, but to show that a player that fans almost universally say should not be at this club is barely being outplayed by a player we brought in three years ago to be our creative link.

Let’s dig deeper and see how they move the team forward, since they play similar roles on the pitch. In three seasons, Gio has had 4 big chances created to Wink’s 1. However, what I find most damning is his passing.

Gio has completed 1580 passes compared to Wink’s 2398. Their pass completion is 83% to 88%. Skeptics would say that this is due to Wink’s frustrating preference to pass backwards or sideways, a fair criticism of the player.

However, out of those 2398 passes, Winks has 266 backwards passes compared to Gio’s 249! Winks has almost 1000 more passes and only 17 more backwards passes.

This is followed up with Gio having 479 forward passes compared to Wink’s 714 with the former being dispossessed 48 times compared to Wink’s 19.

The numbers tell a story, Gio is average at best. He offers absolutely NOTHING for this team moving forward and we should not in any way rely on him.

The cherry on top is he has been injured for 38 games since his arrival, only 11 less games than he has played in the premier league.

If our fans think its time to for some accountability, I think I know where to start. The holiday is over for Lo Celso, it’s time for him to show up or get out of this club.

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