Graham Roberts has reserved special praise for Eric Dier after the centre-half’s display in Tottenham’s 2-2 draw against Liverpool.
Dier has nailed down the starting birth as the central sweeper in Antonio Conte’s back three since the Italian has arrived at the club.
The 27-year-old’s displays have been one of the main reasons behind Tottenham’s improved defensive record under Conte and the central defender put in another near-flawless performance against the Reds.
Not only did Dier marshal Tottenham’s backline impressively and position himself well to clear the crosses that Jurgen Klopp’s men put in the box but he also showcased his ability on the ball, playing some impressive through balls in behind the Reds defence.
Roberts believes that there are not many English defenders better than the Tottenham man on current form.
Roberts also praised Dier’s passing against Liverpool, remarking that some of the former Sporting Lisbon man’s through balls were Glenn Hoddle-esque.
MORE SPURS STORIES
Spurs Web Opinion
Dier has been impressive this season but I am certainly not surprised by his performances as I always believed he had this in him. Some fans who were extremely critical of Dier in the latter stages of last season have short memories regarding the 27-year-old.
Dier struggled with appendicitis in the latter part of the 2017/18 season and during the entirety of the 2018/19 campaign but it is worth remembering that he was one of our most consistent performers under Pochettino during the Argentine’s first three years at the club.
It is also a myth that he only played in midfield under Poch as he also did very well in a back three alongside Toby and Jan on occasion in the 2016/17 season. Even when he was playing as a defensive midfielder, Poch essentially used Dier as a third centre-half when Spurs were in possession.
The England international was also formidable in the first half of last season when Spurs were sitting at the top of the table with a fantastic defensive record. A few mistakes in the second half of last season did not suddenly make Dier a bad player.
Keep up to date with all the latest Tottenham news and opinion by following SpursWeb’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
