The Issue of Centre-Back Options Still Lingers On

Last season’s abysmal showcase of defending is still fresh on the minds of fans. A season that had us gnashing and grinding our teeth whenever our center backs were with the ball or under pressure from the opposing teams.  The playing out from the back style of football Antonio Conte chose to employ with the Spurs team was unfruitful due to poor defensive pairings.

For a top 4 club, Tottenham conceded lots of goals last season which was quite shameful. Out of the teams in the first half of the EPL table, we had the worst defensive record conceding 63 goals. Many things were to blame for this horror show, from Hugo Lloris’s lack of fitness post-World Cup to Eric Dier’s countless errors. The issue of defensive options in Tottenham has been an issue since the exit of Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen. Like the Tottenham way, we bottled their replacement ending up with a series of poor options.

The arrival of Davinson Sanchez for a then club record fee of €42 million was meant to steady the backline after the exit of the two legends, but as we have all come to see, that choice didn’t pan out. Eric Dier’s conversion from defensive midfielder to a Centre back was another way the team chose to deal with the defensive situation. Honestly, the combo of Dier of Sanchez was a massive step down from that of the Toby and Jan partnership. For years this was the partnership that continued post Pochettino.

Many managers have come and gone, but little has been done to improve the center-back pairings at the club. The full-back positions were improved with the arrival of Regulion, Sessegnon, and Emerson Royal, but the center-back pairing remained an issue. The only quality center-back option worth mentioning is the Argentine Christian Romero. His presence can be felt in our back line, which has greatly helped us for the past two seasons. Therefore, now is the perfect time to build a strong partnership with another centre-back, preferably a left-footed one.

A fresh defensive line is needed rather than gambling with our current options, like playing Ireland online slots. During this summer transfer window, our main focus is a Goalkeeper and quality Centre back options. The former seems to be sorted, but the latter still remains a lingering problem. At this stage, Levy has to let go of his tight hold on the team’s purse and try to get a quality center back. Furthermore, with Sanchez already signaling his intention to leave this season, it creates extra space for an additional center-back.

Most fans have called for a serious overhaul of the defensive options, but that decision depends on Postecoglou. He has to do an analysis of the current squad and make a choice of who to stay or not. The Australian is here for the long run after signing a four-year deal. Furthermore, with his attacking style of football, it is important that whatever center-back we decide to sign is quick off the ball.

A high-attacking team is prone to counterattacks, and with our fullbacks playing higher up the pitch, it leaves us very open at the back. So, the goal would be to get a quick pacy center-back that can track back when possession is lost. Indeed, it will be fascinating to see how the remainder of the summer transfer will pan out. Let’s take a seat and watch out.