In a new piece for The Times, Tony Cascarino has told Tottenham Hotspur that Eric Dier is not good enough to play for the club and suggests the Spurs backline needs to be rebuilt without the England international.
Dier has been with Spurs since the summer of 2014 and has racked up 314 appearances for the club over the last nine seasons, scoring 13 goals along the way (Transfermarkt). Despite arriving as a holding midfielder, Dier has now become a regular in the centre of defence for the Lilywhites.
Last season, Dier was an integral part of Antonio Conte’s system and his form saw him recalled to Gareth Southgate’s England squad after 18 months away from the international setup.
This season, however, the 29-year-old has struggled to recapture the form which won him so much praise last year. Dier has two goals in 29 appearances for Spurs this term (Transfermarkt), but has looked shaky at the back for much of the campaign.
After his involvement in Tottenham’s huge 4-1 defeat to Leicester City on Saturday, Dier has been heavily criticised, and Cascarino claims the player is now surplus to requirements in North London.
He said: “Can someone explain to me how so many successive Tottenham managers have fallen in love with Eric Dier?
“He is an honest, decent player who could be OK for a mid-ranking Premier League team, but he cannot be a main centre-half for a team competing for the Champions League.
“He has a bad habit of standing off forwards as they advance on goal. He did it against Leicester again on Saturday. The Spurs back line needs rebuilding but not around Dier.”
Spurs Web Opinion
The Tottenham defence most definitely needs rebuilding and has to be our absolute priority in the summer. I don’t think Eric Dier should be sold, but he certainly shouldn’t be our main starting centre-back.