Tottenham Hotspur Need 90 and More from Attacking Midfield

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with several attacking players in January, which is not surprising given the play in attacking midfield for Spurs.

One of the reasons Tottenham have struggled with passing, as they did against Wolves, is the two main players tasked with being creative, passing forces within the Spurs team cannot stay on the pitch. Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele have combined to play a full 90 minutes four times all season long. Four.

Poor by Comparison

I realize both Lo Celso and Ndombele are special players that take a lot of abuse but four complete matches on the season is ridiculous. Compare this to Harry Kane who has played a full 90-minutes on 16 occasions this season and you really begin to realize how little these men are playing.  Combined Lo Celso and Tanguy have only played 252 more minutes all season than Kane alone. How can a player contribute if they are not on the pitch to do it?

Of course, striker and attacking midfield are different positions with different responsibilities. However, if you look at Jack Grealish you see Spurs are simply not getting enough from their attacking midfield. Grealish has gone for 90 minutes in all 14 Villa Premier League matches this season. Grealish clearly carries a much heavier burden than either Lo Celso or Ndombele and has been fouled more than any player in the league, by a lot, and still never misses a minute.

Need More than Moments

On Sunday against Wolves, it was clear the best player on the pitch was Tanguy Ndombele. However, to truly be the best you must do it for more than half or two-thirds of a match. Tottenham need midfielders with engines who can run the whole game and Tanguy needs to be one of those players for Spurs to succeed.

Too often this season, Spurs attacking midfield has gone absent for long stretches at a time. Even in his better matches, where he is only playing an hour total, Ndombele is only effective for bursts, versus consistently being on the ball and good. Lo Celso has had moments as well, but most have come as a substitute later in matches when he is fresh, and the opposition is not.

If Spurs were to sign Grealish tomorrow, would he automatically be the best attacking midfielder in the team, maybe. Would he be the hardest working attacking midfielder? Without a doubt. Would Grealish be the most available of the midfielders? Certainly. Would I trade Lo Celso and Ndombele for him, in a heartbeat with a second thought.

All that said, Jack Grealish is NOT coming to Tottenham anytime soon, and from the sounds of things even Marcel Sabitzer may be wishful thinking. The reality is Spurs must get more from what they have, and it starts with fitness and playing 90 minutes.

Tottenham fans have fallen for Pierre Højbjerg because the man works, he is constantly moving and looking for the ball whether in or out of possession. Both Højbjerg and Spurs deserve someone as equally hard working in the attacking half of the midfield.