Ange Postecoglou has revealed that Richarlison has looked sharp in training after returning from his injury and is raring to go for the North London Derby.
Tottenham have missed the services of Richarlison over recent weeks due to injury, with the Lilywhites having to use Son Heung-min in the number nine role.
While the South Korean has delivered the goods in some matches, in others, he has struggled to have much impact on the game, particularly when he has come up against deep-lying defences.
Richarlison is looking good in Spurs training
With the Brazilian now back fit, Postecoglou has the option of starting him upfront and reverting Son back to the left. The Australian admitted that the 26-year-old’s return is timely and that he has looked quite sharp in training ahead of Sunday’s clash.
When asked about Richarlison, Postecoglou told Football.London: “He’s another one who has had a disrupted season.
“When he’s been in, he’s been really good for us but then had two injuries and started the season with an injury. Great to have him back and it does gives us other options in that front third. We’re kind of really fortunate that he was at his best when Sonny was away and he filled that breach.
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“We’re talking about how we’re going to cover the goals with the loss of Harry and at different times they both have stood up, but we’ve rarely had them together in great physical shape.
“He’s looked good in training this week, which is good and he’s obviously ready to go. We’re going to need him over the last six games and it does give us another good option in that front third.”
There has also been a lot of talk among Spurs fans about the form of Yves Bissouma, with the former Brighton man struggling over the past couple of months after a strong start to the season.
Postecoglou insisted that the Mali international, just like some of the other midfielders, has had a disruptive season, owing to the AFCON and his suspensions.
When asked about Bissouma’s inconsistency, he said: “It’s a similar narrative for all the parts of our game. There have been parts this year in the midfield, with Yves, with Pape Sarr, with Madders, where we’ve had some really strong performances and then we’ve had disruption for one reason or another.
“Some of it is because form has dipped but some is because of absences, whether that’s Madders with injury, or Pape and Biss going away with the AFCON, and Biss being suspended for a few games. If I had to broad-stroke a narrative for us as a club this year, it’s just been a really stop-start year. It’s felt that way. Even our fixturing has been similar.
“Apart from those first ten games, we haven’t really had any really rhythm or consistency in performance or consistency in gaining some traction into how we’re going to play our football. Whether that’s Biss, or Bentancur is another one who missed the first part of the year, came back, got injured, came back… there hasn’t been any real, for want of a better word, consistency in what we’ve done.”
The 58-year-old insisted that one cannot read too much into the team’s performances over the last few months, given the various disruptions they have had.
Postecoglou added: “It just feels like a real disrupted season. I know that’s how I feel internally where it’s the hardest part for me to assess because there’s no real chunk of work, apart from the first ten games and that’s not enough of a sample to get a great measure of individual or collective performances.
“It feels like I’m taking little samples from everywhere. But it is what it is and whether it’s Biss or any of the other guys, we have six games where we can firm up a sense in some of these things of where we’re at.”
Spurs Web Opinion
Spurs have had a mini-break since the Newcastle defeat to take stock of their recent results and start afresh. How they play in the remaining six games will have a big impact on how his season is viewed and will determine if there is a sense of optimism heading into the next campaign.
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