Kevin Wimmer’s Last Stand at Tottenham

After two middling-to-poor weeks in the starting lineup, Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino might be running out of patience for Austria centre-back Kevin Wimmer.

Wimmer couldn’t even make it past half-time in Tottenham’s 2-2 draw with Manchester City, having picked up a crippling yellow card in the opening 45 minutes. He was given a second chance in Saturday’s match against League Two side Wycombe Wanderers and, once again, failed to complete 90 minutes.

Wasting a substitute on a centre-back should not be a decision any manager in the modern game should have to make. Unfortunately Wimmer left Pochettino with no other options after two truly dismal displays.

It’s one thing to lose your cool against Manchester City. Pep Guardiola top-loaded his team on the day precisely to test the resolve of a defense lacking the level headed Jan Vertonghen. Wimmer was in a difficult position from the start, and his struggles could be forgiven by all but his harshest critics.

More from Tottenham News

• Storybook ending after difficult period for Tottenahm’s Richarlison
• Tottenham comeback showcased invaluable intangible Ange has cultivated
• Tottenham player ratings in 2-1 comeback win over Sheffield United
• Tottenham projected starting 11 for Sheffield United
• Tottenham’s Richarlison says he’s going to seek psychological help

Such forgiveness was harder to come by on Saturday. Against a team 71 places below them in English football, Wimmer once again committed errors, failed to contain opposing attackers and generally looked overwhelmed. His removal from the game after 61 minutes was sheer mercy, and Tottenham scored two equalizers and the winner thereafter.

Just weeks prior, the club and Pochettino went out of their way to make it clear Wimmer wasn’t available in the January transfer window. An injury issue earlier in the season seemed to result in Wimmer falling out of favor, but evidently he returned to good terms with the club just prior to the window opening.

Since then he has hardly done enough to justify the club’s confidence in him. Even considering passable performances against Watford and Aston Villa, this simply does not look like the Wimmer who so capably understudied Vertonghen last season.

When a knee injury last January kept the Belgian out for over two months, it was Wimmer who Pochettino entrusted to keep Tottenham’s league-best defense intact. The then-23-year-old did so with aplomb, solidifying his place at the club after coming in as a virtual unknown the previous summer.

Though Vertonghen’s return meant Wimmer himself returning to the bench, it was clear where the line of succession stood. Even if the Austrian’s hold on third choice centre-back was weakened by Eric Dier’s return to the position and the ascent of Cameron Carter-Vickers, prior to this month few would have doubted Wimmer’s future with the club.

Now it seems as if Ben Davies might come in for Wimmer in Tuesday’s Premier League match against Sunderland. The full-back was who Pochettino turned to when Vertonghen first went down two weeks ago, and he should be seen as the superior option after Wimmer’s failures.

It’s unlikely that Pochettino completely gives up on Wimmer. He should be judged on his peaks more than his valleys, so last year’s performance should still earn him a stay at the club through the summer.

The likelihood at being replaced by a full-back with virtually no centre-back experience should worry Wimmer though. He will need to up his game when given the chance if he wants to sustain his stay in north London.