The Spurs Web

Inconsistencies continue to kill any momentum

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Tottenham Hotspur dropped yet more points with a 1-1 draw against Fulham in the Premier League this afternoon.

We’ve analysed the performance of the Spurs players throughout the ninety minutes and beyond at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Ange Postecolglou was without the services of Dominic Solanke due to illness, while he decided to drop Dejan Kulusevski down to the bench.

Below we have shared our thoughts, along with an individual player rating on a scale of 1-10.

How the Tottenham players rated vs Fulham

Fraser Forster: Saved well to deny Jimenez and later in the first half made a terrific effort to push away the same striker’s shot from six yards. Could do little about Cairney’s equaliser which curled away from him. 7.

Pedro Porro: Has looked really tired and not making the forward runs he usually does. 4.

Radu Dragusin: Had a headed chance just before the half-time break which was tipped over the bar. Needs to be wary of his passing on occasion. Headed wide from a corner late on and made a vital clearance at the other end. 7.

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Ben Davies: Complete with a black eye, made a good tackle in his own box and put in a decent shift as he continues to deputise for the absent Romero and van de Ven. 7.

Destiny Udogie: Back in the starting eleven after being rested against Roma, did little of note. 5.

Yves Bissouma: Playing in the holding role which really does not suit his game. 4.

Pape Matar Sarr: Showed plenty of running in the first half but had little impact. Replaced on 86 mins. 5.

James Maddison: Nearly found the back of the net in the first half only to see his cheeky free-kick come back off the post. Unable to have the same impact on the match that he did at Man City. Subbed on 86 mins. 6.

Timo Werner: Picked Johnson out with a lovely cross towards the back post to bag an assist. Replaced on 67 minutes for Kulusevski. 6.

Heung-min Son: Had a couple of early chances but failed to make the most of them, not at the level required today. 4.

Brennan Johnson: The Welshman was anonymous in the first half but found himself in the right place at the right time to open the scoring ten minutes into the second half. 6.

Dejan Kulusevski: Came on as a replacement for Werner. A foul on him from Cairney saw the Fulham goalscorer sent off after a VAR review. 6.

Lucas Bergvall: 86th minute replacement. 5.

Archie Gray: Came on for Maddison with four minutes remaining. Picked up a knock in injury time and had to come off. 5.

Will Lankshear: An injury time sub. N/A.

Tottenham are next in action on Thursday night when they make the trip to the south coast to face Bournemouth in the Premier League.

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An uninspiring display so far

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The first-half of Premier League football in North London has drawn to a close, and it’s time for Spurs vs Fulham player ratings, as both end the half level.

Spurs are without nine key players for today’s all-London clash with Fulham, most recently including Dominic Solanke, who fell ill before the match. Postecoglou has named a rather makeshift eleven, with Werner starting on the left-hand side, and this season’s revelation Dejan Kulusevski dropping to the bench.

Last time out, Fulham played host to Spurs at Craven Cottage, where the west-Londoners dismantled Ange Postecoglou’s side 3-0. It isn’t a scoreline the Lilywhites are hoping is repeated, as the North London outfit look to stabilise thier trajectory after being stunned by a late Hummels equaliser in midweek.

Over the duration of the last forty-five minutes, we’ve analysed each players individual performance, rating them on a scale of 1-10. Let’s take a look at how they got on.

Spurs’ player ratings vs Fulham

Fraser Forster: Forster continued to deputise for the injured Guglielmo Vicario, making his first PL start of the season. The veteran keeper had to deal with Raul’s attacking threat more than once, most notably getting down low to deny the Fulham man on 35′. He had a few shaky moments in possession, though. 7.

Pedro Porro: The Spaniard bombed up the right-hand side at will, intercepting possession on a number of occassions and trying to forge that linebreaking pass to the front three, who aren’t short of legs. He continued his tendency of outside-the-box shots too, none of which troubled Leno. 6.

Radu Dragusin: Radu came close to a first Spurs goal with a strong header that was tipped just over. Defensively, he wasn’t majorly troubled and mostly did what was asked of him. There were a couple of times where tried some ambitious diagonal passes that often failed to reach its target, though. 6.

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Ben Davies: The Welshman made a few vital interventions in the first period, proving to be a worthy defensive backup for Ange Postecoglou once again. 7.

Destiny Udogie: After a well-deserved rest in midweek, the left-back looked alive and energetic in the first period, parading forward and looking to build something. 6.

Yves Bissouma: Linked the defence and the attack tidily, but he wasn’t too involved other than the odd pass here and there. 5.

Pape Sarr: Sarr didn’t stop running in that first half, but in possession, the Senegalese midfielder would’ve hoped to have been better. Most of the passes he attempted were positive ones in Son’s direction, but they led to nothing. 6.

James Maddison: Preferred to the in-form Dejan Kulusevski, Maddison strived to be Spurs’ main creative outlet in the first-half, pulling the strings and dictating the play. Unfortunately, he didn’t create anywhere near enough chances to impact and influence the game. He nearly scored a free-kick that he drove under the wall, but it was deflated onto the post. Fine margins. 6.

Brennan Johnson: Brennan was hardly involved, struggling to overcome Robinson who put up a great fight to keep Spurs’ top goalscorer quiet. 5.

Son Heung-Min: Playing in a more central role today, Son tested Leno early with a few powerful shots but the South Korean started poorly and was rather wasteful throughout the first forty-five. 4.

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Destiny Udogie names past Spurs left

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Destiny Udogie is determined to continue improving and has named one former Tottenham star as someone who he wants to emulate.

Destiny Udogie has had a few hiccups this season

When Spurs fans first caught a glimpse of Udogie at the start of last season, the general feeling among the fan base was that the Italian was well on his way to becoming a world-class player.

But the Italian’s journey has had a few hiccups as he picked up an injury that ruled him out towards the end of last season and he has not quite had the sort of consistency he would hope for since his return.

However, it is sometimes easy to forget that the left-back is still very young, having just turned 22 on Thursday.

Destiny Udogie not resting on his laurels

Udogie admitted that he was pleased with the way he adapted to the rigours of Premier League football in his first season in England.

However, the Italy international made it clear that he is always seeking to improve and become the best player that he can be.

When asked about his time at Tottenham so far, Udogie said (via Football.London): “Last season I had a great season, but I have always believed in myself and I adapted well. I knew I could adapt and I thought I adapted well.

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“Playing Premier League was always a dream for me but at the same time, I don’t have any arrival points, I can always do more. I can always try to improve and build to improve and work to improve.”

When asked which past Tottenham man he is trying to emulate, Udogie responded: “In terms of left-footed players before me, there has been plenty and I can think of (Danny) Rose as a name.”

Danny Rose is a good reference point for Udogie

One can argue that from 2014 to 2017, Rose was arguably the best left-back in the Premier League and one of the best in the world.

Udogie does share some attributes with the Englishman, and if the 22-year-old keeps working hard and learning, he could potentially even become a better player than Rose.

In fact, the former Empoli man could go on to become the best left-back for Spurs in the Premier League era.

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German midfielder would 'fit in very well' at Spurs

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German football legend Lothar Matthaus has put forward Tottenham Hotspur as one of the ideal destinations for one Bayern Munich star in January.

Tottenham want to bolster their midfield

Ange Postecoglou has played various combinations in his midfield three between Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Pape Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma so far this season.

The Tottenham head coach has not used Archie Gray in the middle of the park while most of Lucas Bergvall’s minutes have come in the Europa League.

The Australian is thought to be keen on bolstering his options in midfield, with Lille’s Angel Gomes being the player who has been most heavily linked with a move to N17 (GiveMeSport).

Bayern Munich man recommended to Spurs

Lothar Matthaus has now recommended Leon Goretzka as a potential option for the North London side.

The experienced German international has struggled for game time since Vicent Kompany arrived at Bavaria and it seems like his time at the Allianz Arena might soon come to an end.

When asked which club would be the 29-year-old’s ideal destination, Matthaus has told SportBILD: “Yes: Inter Milan. The Italian league would be a good fit. Consistency is required there as toughness and physical play.

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“I don’t necessarily see him at a top 5 club in Europe, but he can help all the other clubs. Inter, Man United, Tottenham, Atletico Madrid: He would fit in very well there.”

Leon Goretzka is not a good fit for Spurs

Goretzka is not a good fit for Ange Postecoglou’s project at Tottenham, either tactically or in terms of his age.

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Tottenham goalkeeper plans revealed ahead of January transfer window

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Tottenham have a plan to find a new goalkeeper in January after Ange Postecoglou backed Fraser Forster to step up during Guglielmo Vicario’s absence.

Ange Postecoglou backs Forster unequivocally

With Guglielmo Vicario expected to be out of action for several months, Forster will now be required to step up and guide Tottenham through a tricky period of fixtures.

There have been some suggestions that Spurs may look at the free agent market in January, but Postecoglou rejected those claims on Wednesday.

When asked about signing a goalkeeper on a free transfer, the Tottenham head coach told Football.London: “That’s not going to happen. That’s why we’ve got a squad of players here. I don’t think us signing a free agent now is going to help us.

“Unless something else happened, that’s why we’ve got four goalkeepers. There’s young Luca but to be fair he’s been injured so he’s not really ready. Fraser I’ve known for a long time and he’s such a strong character within the group and ready to play.”

Tottenham expected to enter the market in January

The Times have now claimed that while Spurs may not sign a free agent, they will look to add another goalkeeper to their squad in January.

The outlet reveals that the Lilywhites are likely to go for a homegrown option rather than look towards Europe for a shot-stopper.

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The publication adds that Spurs would ideally look for someone who is comfortable with the ball at his feet and good at playing out under pressure.

Spurs will push forward plans

Tottenham’s recruitment department would have already been looking at potential goalkeeping options for next summer, given that Forster’s contract runs out at the end of the season.

The club would have thus identified a list of targets and one would now expect them to push their plans forward to the January window.

However, getting a decent goalkeeper out of their club mid-season will not be easy, with Tottenham potentially needing to pay a premium to do so.

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Bad news as Tottenham player's injury is more serious than first thought

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It has now emerged that one Tottenham player may be out of action for much longer than initially anticipated.

Tottenham man has had a year to forget

His latest injury came in Tottenham’s 4-1 win over Aston Villa at the start of this month, with the 27-year-old’s hamstring giving way in the process of assisting a goal for Dominic Solanke.

Some sources have suggested over recent weeks that the Brazilian suffered a grade three tear.

Richarlison’s injury is worse than initially thought

Trivela now explain that Richarlison suffered an injury on his right thigh but there was no damage to his tendon. It was thus expected that he would recover in around four to six weeks, which is the standard timeframe for these kinds of injuries.

However, the outlet reveals the Tottenham man’s case is different, with the injury appearing to be ‘more serious than initially anticipated’

The publication says that the view of the Spurs medical staff is that Richarlison is unlikely to play again this year and is only expected to be back at the start of 2025.

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One more month on the sidelines is not a disaster

While this news is not ideal, it is not a disaster if Richarlison is back in action by the turn of the year.

However, the big question is whether he will be able to stay fit, with recent evidence suggesting that there is a good chance he would break down again even if his workload is managed carefully.

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Destiny Udogie admits Tottenham are missing a 'great leader'

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Destiny Udogie admits Guglielmo Vicario is a huge miss for Tottenham on and off the pitch, and makes a confession about the goalkeeper playing through a fracture against Manchester City.

Tottenham have been severely weakened

It is difficult to overstate the importance of Vicario to the Tottenham side, with the Italian not just being a world-class shot-stopper, but also being crucial to helping the side play out from the back.

While Fraser Forster is an experienced campaigner and has proven to have a reliable pair of hands, he will not quite be able to offer what the Italian can, particularly in terms of decision-making on the ball.

With the Tottenham number one expected to be out of action for several months with a fractured ankle, it has been reported that Spurs are now considering adding another goalkeeper to their squad in January (talkSPORT).

Destiny Udogie’s confession about Vicario’s leadership

Apart from Vicario‘s ability on the pitch, Udogie has now admitted that the goalkeeper’s leadership will also be missed.

The 28-year-old was added to Tottenham’s leadership group by Ange Postecoglou back in the summer, which demonstrates his standing among the squad.

Speaking about his compatriot’s injury, Udogie told Football.London: “We’re going to miss him. In the group, he’s a great leader and a great player, he will be missed. During the game, he had a bad fracture of his ankle but to keep going showed a lot of character.”

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He added: “I spoke to him on the day after, asked how was going, and he told me had the operation and will be out for a while. We are just waiting for him to be back.”

Udogie not surprised Vicario played through injury

After having surgery on his fracture on Monday, Vicario admitted on social media that he had played more than an hour against Man City with the fracture.

That has left Spurs fans astonished, particularly considering the way the goalkeeper was flinging himself at shots to make crucial saves.

However, Udogie is not surprised to learn that about Vicario, admitting that he always knew the former Empoli man had a strong mentality.

When asked about Vicario playing with a fractured ankle, the left-back said: “Honestly, I always knew Vicario was different, he is a great guy with a strong mentality. For him to play 60 minutes with a fractured ankle says a lot about him and I really respect that.

“As a big brother, I know it is hard when you go and have an operation. I just wish him the best and can’t wait for him to be back.”

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horse race for Serie A star Patrick Dorgu

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The race for one of the Serie A’s best young players is heating up ahead of the January transfer window, with Tottenham right in the thick of it.

Tottenham want to bolster their backline

While it has been widely reported that Ange Postecoglou wants to add depth to his defence in January, it is still not clear which position the Lilywhites are prioritising.

It was reported by GiveMeSport a couple of weeks ago that Spurs are contemplating whether to sign a backup left-back or to instead sign a versatile centre-back, who can also operate as a full-back.

The outlet claimed that if Tottenham decide to go for a left-back, Lecce’s Patrick Dorgu is the name at the top of their wishlist.

Tottenham are in the race for Patrick Dorgu

The Denmark international’s stock continues to rise with each passing week as he continues impressing for Lecce further forward this season.

TuttoSport now provide an update on Dorgu‘s future, stating that Juventus have recently scouted the 21-year-old while Napoli are also keeping an eye on his situation.

They further state that Tottenham and Chelsea are also ready to push ahead with a move for the versatile wide-man in January.

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The outlet points out that the Blues might have an advantage in the race, with Dorgu thought to have grown up as a Chelsea supporter.

Is a January deal on the cards?

However, despite the growing interest, TuttoSport suggests that a January move appears unlikely for Dorgu as Lecce would want to keep him until the end of the season.

The outlet claims that the likes of Chelsea and Tottenham could get around this by signing the player and loaning him back out to the Serie A side until the end of the season.

The publication further adds that Lecce are expected to ask for a figure much higher than the €15m (£12.4m) they quoted to the clubs who came knocking on the door for the left-back in the summer.

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Tottenham star is reminding me of 'prime Lionel Messi'

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Jamie O’Hara says that one Tottenham player’s performance against Manchester City reminded him of a prime Lionel Messi while adding that another much-maligned Spurs man also delivers credit.

Tottenham turned on the style at the Etihad Stadium

Ange Postecoglou surprised a lot of people by moving Dejan Kulusevski to the right and bringing James Maddison into the starting eleven against Man City, but that proved to be an inspired decision.

The pair combined for Tottenham’s first goal and along with Heung-min Son and Dominic Solanke, they tore the City defence apart, with Pep Guardiola’s men struggling to cope with their movement and pressing.

Jamie O’Hara praises Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison

O’Hara has become the latest pundit to wax lyrical about Kulusevski‘s display against City, but he went a step further than others, claiming that the Tottenham man reminded him of Messi in his pomp.

The former Spurs midfielder told Grosvenor Sport “Tottenham were unbelievable against Manchester City last weekend. Dejan Kulusevski came in and performed to a world-class standard – it was like watching Lionel Messi in his prime at times. He always steps up against City.”

O’Hara also praised Maddison for delivering a top display on his return to the side after a few difficult weeks.

He added: “I think James Maddison also deserves a lot of credit for his performance, he was brilliant and he’s a player who, truthfully, has struggled this season.

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“He needs his plaudits for that performance – he’s had a tough period and he’s been out of the team; he dictated the tempo of the game exceptionally and we saw the old James Maddison there. If he plays like that going forwards, he is worth every penny that Tottenham paid for him.”

O’Hara did not forget Tottenham duo at the back

While most of the focus has understandably been on the fact that Spurs put four past City at the Etihad, the bigger achievement was arguably the clean sheet, given that the away side were without Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven.

O’Hara admitted that he was impressed with what he saw from Ben Davies and Radu Dragusin on Saturday.

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Alan Shearer predicts Tottenham v Fulham result

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Alan Shearer has made his prediction for Tottenham Hotspur’s next match against Fulham and he expects Spurs to build on their result against Manchester City.

Tottenham to take on Fulham

Tottenham face Fulham on Sunday and the stakes are high, with Spurs only three points off the top four in the Premier League table, but the same number of points is also what separates them from Manchester United in 12th place, so the pressure is on.

Although Spurs suffered a shock defeat to Ipswich Town before the international break, they played brilliantly against Manchester City, securing a 4-0 win, but with them failing to back that up with a win against Roma in the Europa League, despite fielding a strong team, Tottenham’s lack of consistency has once again been called into question.

Meanwhile, Fulham were defeated 4-1 in their last match at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers after a disastrous second half, but they are the seventh-best-performing Premier League team away from home this season, losing only twice, to Manchester City and Manchester United, with just one goal separating the sides in both defeats.

Shearer thinks Tottenham will get the win

While Spurs have struggled to be consistent, they did go on a five-match winning streak in all competitions before their defeat in October to Brighton and Hove Albion and Shearer believes their impressive win last weekend could be the start of another set of consecutive wins.

Writing on the Metro, he said: “Spurs will have too much at home, particularly after their win against Man City. The confidence they’ll take will go into the game this weekend, albeit they’ll have to do it without Vicario.

“What Spurs have lacked is consistency. They get great results like the one against Man City and you look at the team and that performance and wonder how they can lose to Ipswich and Crystal Palace. That’s what Spurs’ problem has been.

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“That result last weekend should give them the confidence to go on a long run now and consistently take points rather than being beaten by Ipswich.

“I think Spurs will have too much for Fulham, and they need to follow up that great result last weekend.”

Prediction: Spurs win.

A losing pattern which should concern Spurs

One statistic which has the potential to worry the Tottenham faithful is that Spurs have lost their three most recent Premier League fixtures which have taken place directly after a Europa League match, against Brighton, Crystal Palace and Ipswich. This paired with their struggles to back up strong results means nothing is guaranteed.

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