Ange Postecoglou is a no-nonsense character as Tottenham Hotspur fans know very well.
The Spurs boss has mainly got what he has wanted at the club, including the signing of Radu Dragusin from Genoa during the January transfer window.
This is a player who was heavily tipped to join German giants Bayern Munich, but Tottenham managed to secure his signature instead.
With Dragusin joining the London club, Eric Dier left Spurs and joined Bayern Munich, with supporters delighted with the transfer business that they had conducted.
Spurs paid the Italian club £25 million (BBC Sport) for his services, and from the get-go, he knew that he was going to play second fiddle to speed machine Micky van de Ven and World Cup winner, Cristian Romero.
Dragusin played a total of 424 Premier League minutes last term, making four starts and spending quite a lot of time as an unused substitute.
Dragusin was praised for his Euro 2024 performance for Romania this summer, with the 22-year-old the only solid player pushing the club’s starting centre-backs.
Jamie Carragher claimed that when you look at Spurs’ back four as ‘individuals’ then they are ‘as good as anyone’ in the Premier League.
The Liverpool legend then spoke about how Postecoglou wants a ‘better squad’, before claiming that there is ‘friction’ between Dragusin and his manager over his game time, as he told Sky Sports Premier League (19/08/24 at 7:05 pm).
Tottenham recorded a 1-1 draw at Leicester City on Monday night, with van de Ven starting at the heart of defence, alongside Romero.
Romero was dubbed a ‘shambles’ for his Tottenham defending, with the club’s January arrival remaining as an unused substitute.
Radu Dragusin’s game time at Tottenham Hotspur
“When I think about Tottenham’s back four as individuals, I think they are almost as good as anyone in the Premier League,” said Carragher.
“Is there any left-back better than Udogie? Porro last season was outstanding. The two centre-backs you put up against most centre-backs in the Premier League, but their defensive record is so poor and he (Postecoglou) sights the fact that they are not playing together as much.
“Yes, when one of them isn’t there, van de Ven especially, the high line and the pace. You (Gary Neville) have mentioned Udogie. Van de Ven is one of the quickest players in the Premier League, never mind centre-backs. He (Postecoglou) is talking about needing a better squad. The guy who they brought in January very rarely plays (Dragusin). There was a bit of friction there that he didn’t get enough minutes that he liked – it’s not just about personnel. Is it the set-up as well, with the fullbacks going into midfield? Does that cause them a problem as well?”
Tottenham Hotspur’s summer transfer window
Spurs fans can’t argue because their club has, once again, spent the money and they could yet add more players.
Tottenham broke their club-record transfer to sign Dominic Solanke, but you feel the defensive spots are the biggest concern.
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Yes, Solanke will elevate the forward line and they will, in the long run, be more powerful going forward, but you worry about them at the back.
Gary Neville named Destiny Udogie in his Team of the Season in 2023/24, but you feel an injury to him and then the drop-off is huge.
And yes, Dragusin can come in at centre-back with van de Ven going to fullback, but once again, more cover is still needed.
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