Serge Aurier: Tottenham’s most disappointing player
By Gary Pearson
The undisputed most disappointing player from the 2017-18 season is Serge Aurier, whose inexplicable predisposition to commit calamitous errors puts him atop this dubious list.
Aurier arrived at Spurs with a sordid history, a rap sheet besmirching his reputation. While the Ivorian has behaved himself off the pitch since arriving from PSG about a year ago, his on-field performances have been at best inconsistent; at worst downright woeful.
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Aurier did his teammates a disservice by getting sent off after committing two rash tackles against West Ham on Sept. 23.
Holding on to a 3-2 win, Spurs showed their collective resilience despite Aurier’s moments of madness. It was, unfortunately for Spurs and Aurier, a sign of things to come.
His worst performance of the season was magnified by the importance of the occasion, as Aurier almost single-handedly cost Spurs their spot in the Champions League. Aurier endured a performance in Turin that he’ll be hard pressed to ever forget. Here’s an excerpt from a piece written in the aftermath of that horrendous display:
"While his technical skills leave a lot to be desired, I’m more concerned about his decision-making ability. The most infamous moment came in first half injury time, as Spurs had just clawed their way back into the contest courtesy of a Harry Kane goal. Momentum had shifted, clearly favouring the away side.Until Aurier scissor kicked Douglas Costa down in the box for a stonewall penalty, that is. Costa, like a cheetah racing a sloth, burst by Aurier who inexplicably cut the Brazilian down blatantly from behind. Aurier’s moment of madness should have been punished to the full extent of the law, but Gonzalo Higuaín, by smashing his second penalty off the crossbar, offered Tottenham a lifeline."
If that performance wasn’t disconcerting enough, Aurier somehow managed to mire himself deeper in adversity. Aurier incomprehensibly committed a hat trick of foul throws in the same contest in Spurs’ narrow 1-0 win against Crystal Palace on Feb. 25. You wouldn’t expect that kind of carelessness from a 10-year-old let alone from a professional footballer playing at the top level.
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Fernando Llorente also endured a tumultuous first season with Spurs, but the Spaniard was still markedly better than Aurier. While Llorente didn’t contribute nearly enough offensively, he didn’t commit nearly as many cardinal sins as his Ivorian colleague.
While criticizing a Tottenham player is never easy, Aurier’s first season in North London fell well below expectations. Hopefully he has the resilience, commitment and mindset to come back stronger next season, thereby proving to the gaffer and Spurs’ faithful why he’s worth the £23 million the club shelled out on him.