Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi made a number of baffling decisions that cost Spurs in their 1-0 loss to Leeds United at Elland Road, breaking up an impressive three game winning streak and placing a blemish on what was a great run of form in between the October and November international breaks.
One of the most disappointing developments of the game and one that proved to be especially costly for Spurs was James Maddison not even getting a single minute. Tottenham usually struggle to put chances away, sure, but they struggled to both create and put away chances, as the midfield trio of Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, and Archie Gray got blanketed badly by the Peacocks, creating nothing in the process.
Maddison seemed like a great bet to play over the weekend, having received an extra full week of rest since he did not need to play against Crystal Palace after a groin tweak against Chelsea in the 50th minute. But Madders was not able to play at all, and Tottenham Hotspur struggled badly on a technical level without their best playmaker.
James Maddison is not someone Spurs can count on
Roberto De Zerbi addressed why James Maddison did not play against Leeds to reporters after the defeat, via Chris Cowlin, “Maddison started to work with the group on Thursday, but no total training. Today and yesterday, he worked just one day, one day and a half. It could be a solution, yes, but in that moment, I thought Kudus was tired, too tired, and in that position, Luca, in one-to-one, I mean, his speed is better than James, but in the future, when James is fit, we already know he plays, no?”
So Maddison didn't play not because of a coach's decision but because he still is not fit two weeks after what happened at Chelsea. In total, Maddison has only started two games in 10 Matchdays, and that's a huge, huge problem. It has been 18 months since his ACL tear, and he's literally only started and played at least 60 minutes once, against Coventry City, which just so happened to be the only time Spurs scored three goals in a game.
De Zerbi talking about Maddison as a fitness problem and someone who could not play at all only highlights the fact that his injury concerns are a massive cloud hanging over Tottenham. And if a player this important can't be relied on every week, then maybe Spurs need another contingency plan in the winter, even accounting for Xavi Simons's return.
Add us as a preferred source on Google