Kyle Naughton and Danny Rose Best Tottenham Fullback Option

Kyle Naughton and Danny Rose have both come in for considerable criticism from Tottenham fans but at present they are Spurs best option at full-back.

Mauricio Pochettino selected both Kyle Naughton and Danny Rose in the fullback positions for the north London derby on Saturday and with their display they demonstrated that they deserve to be first choice in the Premier League.

Many Tottenham fans have been highly critical of both Naughton and Rose over the past number of seasons. Many expected them to be on their way out of White Hart Lane following the appointment of Pochettino during the summer. The very least that had been expected was that both would be retained as squad players to provide cover for Kyle Walker and new signing Ben Davies. It hasn’t, however, turned out like that.

Danny Rose / Ben Davies

Jul 26, 2014; Bridgeview, IL, USA; Chicago Fire defender/midfielder Lovel Palmer (5) controls the ball against Tottenham Hotspur defender Danny Rose (3) during a friendly at Toyota Park. Mandatory Credit: Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports

First, Danny Rose signed a 5-year contract with Spurs and then was called into the England squad for the international matches at the beginning of last month. He has played in the 6 league matches to date. In the defeat to West Brom he was one of Spurs better players while against Arsenal he played his part in the defensive side of Spurs game as they took an unexpected but deserved point at the Emirates. Ben Davies, however, when playing in the midweek team has looked uncertain and has frequently been caught out of position with the opposing wide player getting behind him and creating difficulties for the defence. While Davies settles at the club Rose is clearly Pochettino’s best option at left-back.

Kyle Naughton / Eric Dier

Walker’s continuing injury problems resulted in Kyle Naughton playing in the opening game of the season at West Ham, carrying on as cover for Walker as he did in the final months of last season.

Unfortunately for Naughton, his first appearance of the season lasted only 28 minutes until he was dismissed for handball and conceded a penalty. It was a harsh decision by the referee but with West Ham spurning the opportunity to take the lead from the spot-kick and failing to make their numerical advantage count, it opened the way for Eric Dier to made a memorable debut in English football.

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Dier having started the game in central defence moved to right-back where he performed admirably and then went on the score the winning goal. With Naughton suspended for the next league game, Dier continued at full-back and managed to score again. This kept him in the team for the next three league games but having conceded a soft penalty against Liverpool, it seemed to shake the young player’s confidence and he wasn’t as composed and effective in subsequent games.

Meanwhile, Naughton had continued to play in the midweek team in Europe and the Cup. His play suggested to me that he should return to the league team as he was the better option at right-back as he had the experience of over 200 appearances in all competitions at various levels to help him cope with the Premier League.

Strangely, it appears that, on current form, the two players many supporters were expecting to leave the club have shown themselves to be Tottenham’s best full-back partnership. Some suggested playing Younes Kaboul at right-back but following his display against Arsenal, the captain’s assured of his position in the team in central defence. When Kyle Walker returns from injury he will surely reclaim his place on the right side of the defence.

In the meantime, Kyle Naughton and Danny Rose would appear to be Mauricio Pochettino’s best option at fullback.