Ange must now axe Bissouma to start "generational" Spurs star
da bet esporte： The international break has finally come to an end, and Tottenham Hotspur are back in action this evening.
da blaze casino： Unfortunately, given how poorly Ange Postecoglou’s side have fared in the Premier League this season, that might not be such a good thing for the fans.
However, with some time away, there is every chance the North Londoners could get back on track away to fierce rivals Chelsea, although the manager should drop Yves Bissouma from the starting lineup.
Against Fulham, the Mali international received a paltry 3/10 match rating from Alasdair Gold, who criticised him for his ‘dreadful’ use of the ball and ‘panicked’ passes, enough for him to be hooked at half-time.
Fortunately, the perfect player to replace the former Brighton & Hove Albion ace was just declared fit to play by Postecoglou in his pre-match press conference yesterday afternoon.
Chalkboard
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Spurs team news
Postecoglou sat down and spoke to the media yesterday and revealed the state of the squad heading into today’s game.
Starting with the bad news, it should come as no surprise that Radu Dragusin is still ruled out for the rest of the season following surgery, although Dejan Kulusevski and Kevin Danso have also been confirmed to be out of contention.
According to the Australian, the pair are “working hard” and “progressing well” but remain “a couple of weeks away” from being in contention again.
Moving from those who are 100% ruled out to those who are very unlikely to feature, and there is just one player in this category: Richarlison.
The Brazilian forward came off in the League Cup semi-final at Anfield in February and hasn’t featured since, but according to the boss, “he’s training with the main training group,” and while it’s very unlikely he features tonight, he could be involved on the weekend.
Finally, the only player confirmed to be back in contention is Lucas Bergvall. He returned from international duty early with an illness, and he should replace Bissouma in the middle of the park tonight.
Why Bergvall should start
So, based on his diabolical performance last time out, it’s not particularly hard to argue for Bissouma to be dropped, but why should Bergvall be the one to come in for him?
Well, despite still being just 19 years old, he has proven time and time again this season that he is more than capable of starting top-flight games for Spurs, and not just that, but thriving in them.
Bergvall’s FBref scout report
Statistic
Per 90
Percentile
Total Carrying Distance
273.66
Top 3%
Switches
0.77
Top 4%
GCA (Shot)
0.10
Top 5%
Successful Take-Ons
1.83
Top 5%
Shots Blocked
0.67
Top 7%
Interceptions
1.64
Top 9%
Passes Completed
52.52
Top 10%
All Stats via FBref
For example, FBref places the young Swede in the top 3% of midfielders in the Premier League for total carrying distance, the top 4% for switches, the top 5% for goal-creating actions from shots and successful take-ons, the top 7% for shots blocked, the top 9% for interceptions and more, all per 90.
These statistics show that the “generational” talent, as journalist Mitch Fretton dubbed him, could be the complete midfielder one day. Not only is he contributing in the attacking phase, but he’s also more than helping out with the defensive side of the game, which will be important at Stamford Bridge.
Moreover, he’s also contributed five goal involvements across all competitions, which, again, is seriously impressive for a teenager in his first season with a ‘big six’ side.
Finally, starting him over the Bissouma just makes sense from a future planning perspective. If reports suggesting the latter will be moved on in the summer are true, what is the point in playing him over a youngster who could be the future of the team’s midfield?
Ultimately, Bergvall may still be young and relatively inexperienced, but he’s already proven himself to be immensely talented this season and, therefore, has to start tonight.
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The exciting talent could be a game-changer for Spurs.
