Eric Dier’s Tottenham Place in Question

By Ryan Wrenn | Nov 30, 2016

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 10 : Eric Dier of Tottenham Hotspur during the Barclays Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at White Hart Lane on April 10 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images) /

Mauricio Pochettino finds himself with a difficult decision to make for his Tottenham team in the coming weeks: where does Eric Dier fit?

It’s a completely unexpected question for Tottenham to be asking itself this season — almost as unexpected as the starting berth he secured for himself last term.

Though he began his Tottenham career switching between centre-back and right-back, Dier found himself in a more advanced defensive midfield position right from the start last season. There were hints that the move was only a temporary one, but by September Dier proved his worth to earn sole possession of that spot for the remainder of the season.

But for one suspension served in October, Dier never missed a match in defensive midfield in the 2015/16 season. His durability complemented the similar ruggedness of Harry Kane and Toby Alderweireld and the trio formed the strongest spine in the Premier League as a result.

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With the Champions League looming, Pochettino knew it would be foolhardy to expect another such season from Dier. He recruited Victor Wanyama to act as cover, knowing from his time at Southampton how talented the Kenyan was at the center of the park.

Few expected Wanyama to legitimately challenge Dier in a head to head fight for the defensive midfield position. They were similar players, but Dier was the linchpin to one of the strongest Tottenham defenses in memory. He would not go quietly into the night.

As ever, it was never that simple. With Mousa Dembélé suspended for the first four matches of the season, Wanyama showed off right from the start. When Dier pulled up with a hamstring injury, it was Wanyama who slid right in. It was the Kenyan’s efforts in midfield that helped secured a notable 2-0 win over Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City back in October.

If Dier had a chance to reclaim something from Wanyama, it was cut short by the injury Alderweireld sustained against West Brom on October 15th. The Belgian’s absence left a void at centre-back that, due to his own injury concerns and falling out of favor with Pochettino, Kevin Wimmer couldn’t fill.

And so it fell to Dier to once again serve as an emergency centre-back. His return to his nominally “best” position is far from storied though. Where Alderweireld is a cut above, acting as a bedrock for Tottenham’s efforts farther up the pitch, Dier is simply an adequate Premier League centre-back. Thankfully Jan Vertonghen was alongside him to pick up the slack.

Tottenham are set to receive an upgrade in the coming weeks as Alderweireld is expected to return to the starting XI. That’s a huge plus to the club as a whole, but with Wanyama clinging to his own spot, suddenly Dier is left without a regular starting berth.

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We speculated here last August that Dier appears destined to become a utility player for Tottenham. His versatility makes him about as valuable a bench player as any club could hope for. He’s capable cover for Alderweireld, Kyle Walker and Wanyama, all in one package.

For a player who just months ago signed a new contract and was slated for another star turn for Tottenham, that’s likely not enough. It’s a problem that’s only compounded by the rise of Harry Winks as a dynamic, rugged midfielder in his own right. Dier’s future with Tottenham isn’t exactly murky, but it’s a lot hazier than it was over the summer.

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