Jermaine Jenas has praised Rodrigo Bentancur whilst suggesting that he is more talented than Tottenham’s system allows.
Tottenham were in action on Wednesday night as they hosted Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League.
After a 0-0 draw in Germany last week, Tottenham really needed to beat the Bundesliga side in North London.
Daichi Kamada’s early goal threatened to throw a spanner in the works, but Son Heung-min’s brace turned the game on its head.
Harry Kane made it 3-1 before Faride Alidou threatened to bring Frankfurt back into the game but Spurs saw it out with a 3-2 win.
Jermaine Jenas has praised Rodrigo Bentancur
Tottenham sit top of their group with seven points from four games and Antonio Conte will be pleased with that situation.
Conte moved from his 3-5-2 against Brighton to the 3-4-3 he usually uses, dropping Yves Bissouma out of the side.
Rodrigo Bentancur got a start again and appeared to impress Jermaine Jenas.
Speaking on BT Sport (12/10, 8:11pm), Jenas suggested that Bentancur had really started the game with a ‘spring in his step’.
Jenas even suggested that Bentancur has more ability than he is often allowed to show at Tottenham, believing Conte’s 3-4-3 may restrict him a little.
“I have to say, I really like the approach that Bentancur has had to this game,” said Jenas. “He’s released himself to go and press, he was trying to play a ball forward and gave it away but went and retrieved it quickly, he’s got a real spring in his step tonight.”
“He’s got way more ability than sometimes the system allows from him,” he added.
When playing in a midfield two with wing backs flying up the pitch, there is an onus on you to cover for them and protect the back four.
That means Bentancur isn’t always allowed the freedom to go forward and express himself, though we saw more of that when Bissouma joined into a midfield three.
Jenas clearly feels that there is more to Bentancur’s game than Tottenham fans are seeing, but whether Conte really releases the shackles moving forward remain to be seen.
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