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Tottenham Must Minimize Dier Suspension Risk

By Peter Brewis

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 06 : Etienne Capoue of Watford and Eric Dier of Tottenham Hotspur during the Barclays Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Watford at White Hart Lane on February 6, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 06 : Etienne Capoue of Watford and Eric Dier of Tottenham Hotspur during the Barclays Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Watford at White Hart Lane on February 6, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images) /
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Eric Dier is dangerously close to a two game suspension at Tottenham. Mauricio Pochettino must take certain precautions to minimize this risk.

Being a defensive, shielding midfielder is a physical position for obvious reasons. One of the colloquial terms for it is the “destroyer”. So naturally players who are good there tend to carry with them a certain “disciplinary record”. Eric Dier is not an exception to this rule.

At this point in the campaign Dier has earned nine yellow cards. Should he pick up one more before the April 10th cut off date, it will be an automatic two game suspension for him. He has already missed one game this season due to suspension, and with Tottenham still very much in a title race, any missed time from one of the squad’s most consistent players could prove costly.

With only nine games to go and the cut off date a month away, Tottenham have several decisions to make over the course of the next four Premier League games. Their next two are against Aston Villa and Bouremouth. Aston Villa are absolutely god awful and could present an opportunity for important rotation. Not just for certain players to rest, but to avoid Eric Dier receiving that devastating 10th yellow card. While a win against Villa is crucial, there is no reason why a healthy Mousa Dembélé and Tom Carroll can’t hold down the center of the park for 90 minutes.

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That still leaves three matches. Bournemouth is a scrappy, competent team. That being said, a weakened Spurs midfield should be able to deal with the South Coasters. Playing Dier in this match would be more understandable than playing him against Villa, however it’s still not necessary. Giving him the first 45 minutes to maintain some level of match fitness would be more prudent, while also allowing Ryan Mason, who has proven himself to be a reliable option over the past few weeks, to get a 45 minute run out that would be useful both for his confidence and his match fitness.

The match that should scare Tottenham fans, however, is the April 2nd Liverpool match. Liverpool currently sit in 7th place with 44 points. But more importantly they play a high pressing, attacking brand of football. This will force Dier, and the rest of the team, into making challenges designed specifically to break up play in order to prevent quick Liverpool counter attacks. If there was one game where Dier is most likely to get a yellow card, it’s this one.

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Should he pick up that 10th yellow card against Liverpool, it would put him out against Manchester United and Stoke City. Two manageable matches for sure, but two that Tottenham would be keen to have Dier in the side for.

At this point in the season yellow card accumulation is a real concern for several players and managers. It’s a fact of the game and something that is often out of the control of those in charge. What managers can control, however, are the circumstances players flirting with suspensions face. Pochettino has proven already this season that he is wise when it comes to giving players time off when needed. Time will tell how he handles Eric Dier at this crucial juncture.

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