This season, the Tottenham midfielder has contributed four goals to Premier League goals.
Tottenham Hotspur, who has been a little uneven lately, was unable to build on their 3-1 victory over Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Newcastle United delivered the Lilywhites their most recent blow in a 4-0 loss that was incredibly upsetting and frustrating.
The fact that Ange Postecoglou has switched around the midfield in each of the last two games shows that his squad has begun to lose their rhythm overall, especially in that area.
James Madison is one player who has stayed on the squad, but is it time for the number ten to retire as well?
James Maddison’s current performances
Although Maddison’s £40 million transfer from Leicester City to Tottenham has been hailed as a great financial decision all season, he hasn’t been acting like himself lately.
The England international has now played in five games without contributing a single goal, and Spurs’ fluid attack has recently been a little stale.
This was once more the case against the Magpies, as The Evening Standard gave Maddison’s performance a poor 4/10, adding:
“Has to take some of the blame for Spurs’ ineffective offensive because they want to be held to high standards. Bad judgment, especially when it came to long-range shots that cost possession.
Fortunately, Postecoglou had the ideal option ready on the bench in case he did determine that Maddison needed to be rested or dropped.
Spurs’ wild card is primed for success.
It’s no secret that the midfield hasn’t fully lived up to the manager’s expectations, but he also doesn’t hesitate to express his dissatisfaction.
Postecoglou replaced both Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr at halftime during the Forest match, and he did the same to Eddie Howe’s team shortly before the hour mark.
It wouldn’t be shocking if he decided to switch to a more 4-3-3 style in the coming weeks, which is precisely where Giovani Lo Celso enters the picture.
The Argentine midfielder has only made four Premier League starts this year, mostly in Maddison’s absence, but he has shown promise when he has been on the pitch, tallying two goals and dishing out two assists.
As evidenced by his most recent Premier League start against Bournemouth, Lo Celso has two assists and a lot of creativity—not quite as much as Maddison, but enough to pose a threat to the opposition.
The former Paris Saint-Germain player’s ability to hold onto the ball and manage the game for his team is what stands out the most, and when he began against Manchester City earlier this season, he even had a 100% pass accuracy rate.
Lo Celso can read the game well, press strongly, and prevail in individual skirmishes, which makes him a difficult opponent to get around in the midfield.
As journalist Alex Mitton described it, “he just puts in the work defensively.” This is why he is such a “unbelievable” player—he won four tackles, wasn’t dribbled past once, and won an amazing eleven duels.
But the issue still stands: Is Postecoglou prepared to give Lo Celso the advantage over Maddison?
Associated Subjects
James Maddis On of the Premier League of Tottenham Hotspur,
Giovanni Lo Celso Chalkboard
