In de Engelse Premier League heeft Tottenham Hotspur donderdagavond opnieuw een erg slechte zaak gedaan in de strijd om Europees voetbal. Op het veld van promovendus Sheffield United gingen de Londenaren met 3-1 onderuit. Tottenham blijft daardoor negende, de kloof met de top zes wordt steeds groter.
Aanvallend ontbrak het de Spurs aan scherpte, maar vooral defensief liet de ploeg van José Mourinho zich op enkele dure foutjes betrappen. Het blijft dan ook opvallend dat de Portugees amper nog beroep doet op Jan Vertonghen en Toby Alderweireld. Die eerste mocht weliswaar nog enkele minuten invallen, Alderweireld bleef weer de hele wedstrijd aan de bak gekluisterd.
Opvallend want de Rode Duivel werd toch bestempeld als één van de betere verdedigers in de Premier League en verlengde in de winter pas zijn contract. Op de sociale media waren de reacties dan ook vlijmscherp op de beslissing om Alderweireld weer te negeren.
Starting Eric Dier over Alderweireld and Verthoghen is something that shout get you jailed
— Kola (@ksekoni__) July 2, 2020
Signing Alderweireld on a new contract and not using him is not only disrespectful to a long serving player but clearly also shooting yourself in the foot. #coys https://t.co/SFMR4cQNiK
— Mogens Nielsen (@mogens_nielsen) July 2, 2020
A Dier Problem: The Eric Dier experiment at center back needs to end, this was one of his worst performances. Get Alderweireld and Vertonghen back into the team. pic.twitter.com/uojVUViofT
— CFO (@CFOpinions) July 2, 2020
Both Sheffield United’s second and third goals featured Eric Dier standing inside the six-yard box doing nothing while a striker behind him scored a tap-in.
— Caleb 🌹 (@chisportsguy41) July 2, 2020
Meanwhile, Toby Alderweireld sits on the bench, for some reason.
You have vertongen and alderweireld, but you decide to play Rudiger V2.0 and his sidekick, why won’t you lose, Fool
— Chuks 👅 (@chukwudigamer) July 2, 2020
Why does Eric Dier play ahead of Alderweireld??
— Georgia (@georgiaheasman) July 2, 2020
Vertonghen and Alderweireld on the bench for spurs.... Spurs 3-0 down to Sheffield United. Mourinho masterclass!! #SHUTOT
— Richard Wiseman (@The_RichWiseman) July 2, 2020
This will be killing Mourinho that his side have been so bad defensively and yet Alderweireld sitting on the bench
— Philip Egan (@philegansport) July 2, 2020
Two popular Spurs centre backs Vertonghen/Alderweireld are now bench warmers just wondering why would a manager do something like that coz they have been solid in this PL for Spurs for ages,yet again sticking my nose 🤣🤣
— LLM (@lungelomoss1) July 2, 2020
I know that Toby Alderweireld hasn’t had his best season but he has to be good enough to get into this Spurs team. #Alderweireld #SHUTOT
— Sam Brookes (@sam_brookes2) July 2, 2020