Tottenham Hotspur have one player who's now completely "changed opinions" under new manager Ange Postecoglou, says a pundit on ESPN.
How have Spurs played this season?
The Lilywhites have undergone an absolutely stunning transformation under Postecoglou; winning seven out of their opening nine Premier League games while playing some scintillating football. It was business as usual for Tottenham after the international break, reigning victorious once again with a routine 2-0 win at home to Fulham on Monday. Goals from Son Heung-min and summer signing James Maddison wrapped it up in the first half, with the pair building upon their very deadly partnership going forward.
Maddison in particular has been a revelation since joining the north Londoners for around £40 million in the summer transfer window; scoring three goals and assisting five others in nine full starts for Postecoglou. The England international's champagne form has earned serious recognition, with Scottish football legend Graeme Souness, even preferring Maddison to Real Madrid's in-form sensation Jude Bellingham.
“I am an enormous fan of James Maddison," said Souness earlier this season.
"I think there is room for Maddison and Bellingham in this midfield. If you look at Maddison’s numbers, his stats of scoring goals and creating chances, and you compare them to Bellingham. He shoots Bellingham off the park.
"He is far better than Bellingham in creating chances and scoring goals. He is choosing Bellingham because he plays for Real Madrid. I think there is room for two of them – if he (Bellingham) is going to play off Harry Kane, then I don’t think he is as good as Maddison at that.”
The 26-year-old's praise doesn't end there, as the likes of Spurs hero Glenn Hoddle and former Arsenal striker Ian Wright have also professed their admiration for him this term.
James Maddison praise
If Maddison continues on this upward trajectory, it wouldn't be atoll surprising to see him in PFA Team of the Year come the end of 2023/2024. The playmaker is exactly what Spurs have been crying out for since ex-star Christian Eriksen departed for Inter Milan in 2020, with previous bosses Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte arguably lacking a serial creator in their Tottenham squads.
Now, ESPN pundit Shaka Hislop believes Chelsea made a real mistake by refusing to sign him in the summer because of their age limit, which is what he's heard. He goes on to say that Maddison, after his switch to Spurs instead, is now proving everybody wrong as he changes the opinions of everybody around.
Gets fouled often
Likes to cut inside
Likes to dribble
Plays the ball long
Likes to lay-off
Plays the ball off the floor
“Maddison was a good player in an average team," said Hislop on ESPN.
"You saw that at Leicester when he wasn’t able to do much. Those concerns are absolutely genuine, but he has been outstanding, he really has. He drops so deep and then also finds himself on Son’s shoulder. Chelsea apparently refused to sign him because 25 is their limit and he’s 26.
“Well, if that’s their policy that’s their policy. I just don’t think given where Chelsea were and a genuine feeling about James Maddison, he probably wouldn’t fit the bill, but now, all of a sudden, a lot of people shared that opinion of James Maddison, and he has changed opinions.”
