Destiny Udogie has worked his way up to being an uncontested starter for Tottenham.
Tottenham are overflowing with talent in all areas on the pitch. Some have landed this summer.
Mohammed Kudus’ transfer from West Ham has shown early signs of being the signing of the season. Meanwhile, Joao Palhinha is expected to offer Spurs defensive stability moving forward.
But Spurs’ defence takes the cake when it comes to quality. Udogie, in particular, has shone for the Lilywhites on the left side to the point where he has received the highest praise.
This article includes exclusive comments from Lilywhite Rose owner John Wenham.
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Djed Spence needs ‘consistency’ to become uncontested Tottenham starter
Tottenham are expected to announce Djed Spence’s contract extension after he impressed last season.
The left-back held down the fort while Udogie was sidelined due to injury. But his inconsistent nature has been on full display these past couple of weeks.
Spurs’ defeat to PSG exposed several flaws in his game. However, Spence’s showing against Burnley in the Premier League was the worst he has looked in a while. He appeared completely disconnected from the rest of the left-hand side.
As a result, Lilywhite Rose owner John Wenham – speaking exclusively to Tottenham News – has stressed the need to add consistency to his game before competing against the best.
“I think he will always be able to challenge because he’s a very good player, but he does need to keep his mind to it,” Wenham said.
“I think he was very up for the game against PSG, as he was very up for the game against Arsenal. But whilst he was incredibly good in both of those games, for me, he was fairly poor against both Luton Town and Bayern Munich.
“So I think he has to add consistency to his game. You know, Udogie, injuries aside, is one of the best left-backs in world football.”
Spence works better with Wilson Odobert
One of the key differences between Spence’s bad and good games was the starting left winger.
Brennan Johnson started against Luton Town and Burnley, which coincided with two of his less impressive games. Whereas Spence came to life against Arsenal when Wilson Odobert started.
While this is only a small sample of games, Spence may perform better when paired with a more direct partner. Odobert provides this; Johnson does not.