Tottenham Hotspur center back Tosin Adarabioyo had to hear a lot of negativity before he even played a single minute for the club, but in his start against Liverpool in the League Cup, he played so well defensively and on the ball that you can scarcely hear a peep of criticism for the former Chelsea man from the Spurs faithful.
Tosin is proving his worth and exceeding expectations immediately, which has not been the case for the other Tottenham signings. Even Jan Paul van Hecke had a rude awakening to his new club in his debut during a 3-0 loss to Brentford before busting out and becoming one of the league's best center backs over the last couple of weeks.
Alongside him in that debut, though, was Marcos Senesi, another hyped new signing who joined Tottenham for free in a deal that had already been in the works since the last winter transfer window. Senesi was a major late bloomer standout, breaking out as one of the elite Premier League center backs last season for surprise European package Bournemouth. Senesi was so good, especially on the ball, that he was a legitimate Premier League Team of the Season candidate.
Marcos Senesi is giving up goals for Tottenham
However, Senesi was subpar in the opener against Brentford, and he was even worse in his return to the starting lineup against Liverpool in a 3-1 loss in the Third Round of the League Cup. Whereas Tosin Adarabioyo was exceptional with his tackling and positioning, Senesi was horrendous, playing a key role in giving up all three goals.
Senesi failed to impose himself on the ball anywhere near the other three center backs. Jan Paul van Hecke, Micky van de Ven, and Tosin have all looked great as passers, but while Senesi was hyped upon his signing as one of the Premier League's best ball playing central defenders, he looked nothing of the sort against Liverpool.
Tosin sent a clear message to Roberto De Zerbi and the Tottenham Hotspur fan base that he is a backup defender that the club can rely on for starts against top teams if the occasion requires it. Meanwhile, Senesi was supposed to be the third center back and Tosin the fourth man, but, in all honesty, Tosin looks like the better player.
Senesi had hopes of pushing Micky van de Ven and Jan Paul van Hecke for starts, but, instead, he is starting to look like a signing Spurs are regretting and sticking out for all the wrong reasons. It's early days, but Senesi is the one defender who hasn't shown enough positive signs for De Zerbi.
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