Tottenham Hotspur travel to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening. Then, next weekend, Roberto De Zerbi’s side will host a Premier League opponent for the last time this season, looking to win N17 for the first time since the start of December.
The inability – the inability – to win at home has been central to Tottenham’s turmoil. Couple that with shockingly bad home form, and you’ve got a recipe for a disaster.
Spurs are also struggling to get their basics right, but when you get stars like Randal Kolo Muani underperforming, you start to understand why the Londoners have fallen down this hole.
Randal Kolo Muani of the Spurs is struggling
At the end of the 2023 summer transfer window, Paris Saint-Germain signed Kolo Muani from Eintracht Frankfurt in a deal worth up to £76m. He was one of the most watched players in the world, but his career has taken a left turn.
The Frenchman struggled to break through at PSG, and is now on loan at Spurs, scoring just once in the Premier League all season.
|
Randal Kolo Muani vs Leeds |
|
|---|---|
|
Matching Statistics |
# |
|
Minutes played |
90′ |
|
Goals |
0 |
|
It helps |
0 |
|
To touch |
50 |
|
Shots (on target) |
0 (0) |
|
Accurate passes |
18/23 (78%) |
|
Great opportunities have been created |
1 |
|
Crosses |
0/1 |
|
The property is lost |
23x |
|
Success. dribbles |
2/5 |
|
The discovery of the ball |
3 |
|
Knockdown won |
1/1 |
|
Duels won |
6/17 |
Interestingly, Kolo Muani has previously looked lackluster, unwilling to fight back, but against Leeds United last weekend, he lacked the attacking links to make a real difference to this struggling Spurs team (one excellent pass from Richarlison into the goal though).
It should go without saying that the 27-year-old will not see his loan deal made permanent at the end of the season, one of many sure to leave north London after such a poor campaign.
However, they are not the only ones at the front. While the expected departure of captain Cristian Romero at the end of the season is unfortunate, not all departing defenders will leave behind a glowing reputation, with one player looking like the worst player since Tanguy Ndombele.
Spurs must sell their new Ndombele
Go through the ‘greatest of all’ lists in Tottenham’s corner of the internet, and Ndombele will rank at the top of them all, if not more.
The club’s record signing has been underwhelming in the Premier League, sometimes showing promise but never really paying off. Now, it looks like Radu Dragusin could be the next version, he will definitely leave with a few points to show as a Spurs star.
Dragusin, 24, has played only a minor role this season after recovering from a long-term injury in January, but highlights have been few and far between since Ange Postecoglou oversaw the £25m signing of the young defender from Genoa, with interest from Bayern Munich.
When Ndombele signed for Spurs, recent interest from Manchester United was rebuffed. So, this is another time when the Lilywhites are fighting tooth and nail to secure his signature.
Despite his obvious talent and the intrigue shared by top rivals, it hasn’t happened, with the fact that Dragusin has made three mistakes and won just 35% of his ground balls in nine Premier League games this season (five starts) hammering home that painful point.
Following a series of underwhelming performances since his recovery, commentator Raj Chohan has joined the masses and said the Romanian is “not Premier League quality”.
Tottenham need to make big changes in the summer transfer market. If relegation is to be avoided, this remains the case. Reformation is needed, and Dragusin needs to be part of the migration. He hasn’t worked for the club – like so many before him in recent memory.
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Tottenham’s poor shooting continues to keep them out of the Premier League’s relegation zone.
