Eric Dier has claimed that he is not affected by the criticism he has come under this season and has insisted that he has been happy with the level of his performances.
Tottenham’s backline has come in for some scathing criticism over recent weeks in light of some of their unforced errors at the back, with Dier’s performances being questioned more than most.
Jose Mourinho suggested a few weeks ago that some of Tottenham’s central defenders are suffering from a lack of confidence but Dier insisted that he still has a lot of belief in his ability.
When asked about his performances this season, the England international told BT: “Confidence-wise I don’t feel I have been in a bad place all season.
“I have gone through periods where I have had low confidence in the past so I know what it feels like.
“I haven’t felt that this season. Things have been taken out of….the most important thing is the reality and people’s perception versus reality can be different sometimes.
“I am talking about football in general. We have gone through a difficult moment, but it is important to keep things in context.
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“I have been happy with my level for the majority of the season. There has been a dip in it which correlates with the team in general and the performances in general.
“I don’t think my confidence has been in a negative place where it has been in previous times.”
Dier admitted that he uses the criticism he gets from Mourinho and the coaching staff to help improve his game but insisted that he pays no heed to what is said and written about him.
The centre-back said: “I always say I am a big boy. This is a ruthless profession. I focus on doing the best I can, every time I get an opportunity, I always try to be the best version of myself in training, try to improve constantly and then in games.
“I know I can have good games and bad games but I am always relaxed because I always give everything I have.
“Everything in the outside does not affect me because I am confident in myself and confident that I always try to give the best of myself. Sometimes it goes well, sometimes it goes bad but my effort never changes.”
The England international urged his teammates to stick together during this difficult time and to work hard in order to come through this sticky spell.
When asked about the team’s form, Dier added: “It is no secret we are going through a difficult time.
“Now is the time as a group we have got to all step up and work together to push through this moment, starting with this result and taking it into the weekend.
“We know the result is nice, but it is just a small step. We need to find our consistency and level again and everyone is pushing in the same direction to achieve that.”
Spurs Web Opinion
It is often very hard for football fans not to allow their biases to colour their view of players’ individual displays. Dier is one of the biggest victims of that since many fans lost faith in the 26-year-old due to his struggles in midfield over the last couple of years.
However, I believe that he has largely adapted very well to playing as a centre-back and has shown that he possesses many of the attributes that top centre-halves do. He has obviously made mistakes, particularly when it comes to marking players when the opposition cross the ball into the box.
That is to be expected as he is readapting to a position that he has not played in consistently for several years. Some fans are quick to call Dier out for his errors while overlooking the positive things he brings to the backline. There is a reason that Jose seems to trust him more than he does Alderweireld or Sanchez.
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