Tottenham star James Maddison has been unfairly criticised at times this season by certain pundits
Tottenham Hotspur are seriously struggling in the Premier League and all their eggs appear to be in the Europa League basket for the rest of the campaign.
The Lilywhites overcome a first-leg 1-0 deficit against AZ Alkmaar to win by a 3-2 aggregate in the Europa League round of 16 earlier this month. Now through the competition’s quarter-finals where they will face German side Eintracht Frankfurt in April, it is Spurs’ only chance to lift a trophy but also their sole route to clinching Champions League qualification next season.
Now that there is barely anything left to play in the Premier League, Ange Postecoglou has to go all out to win the Europa League. Failure to do so would not only have ramifications on the future of the Australian but may also lead to concerns over the futures of several first-team stars.
James Maddison has been one of the senior players who has come under a lot of scrutiny amid Tottenham’s struggles this season. The creative midfielder has failed to cement a spot in Ange Postecoglou’s first XI, regardless of his supplying nine goals and five assists in 27 Premier League outings.
The 28-year-old has admitted to being scapegoated by pundits during the ongoing campaign, with him making headlines following his off-field feud with former Manchester United skipper Roy Keane. Despite all the criticism, James Maddison has performed well for Postecoglou’s side and they would be far worse off without him this term.
Ex-Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robinson feels Maddison could leave the club in the summer if Postecoglou and Co. fail to qualify for Europe next season.
“I think the way that he’s been rotated in and out the side with Postecoglou this season, I’m not so sure whether it would sit well with him,” Paul Robinson exclusively told Tottenham News.
“You see where Maddison plays best when he plays in that number 10 role and he’s given the freedom to operate there. In the 4-3-3 system with him playing as a deep-lying, left-hand-sided midfielder, I can understand the third man running in the box, and the vision that he’s got. But actually, when Maddison is deployed in that 10 role like he was last year when Spurs had all the success, and this year to an extent when he plays, he’s a better player playing in that 10 role.
“But Maddison, for me, if he’s fit and playing, he plays in big games, when you play the Manchester Cities, the Liverpools, the Arsenals, and you play in Europe. And that might be a frustration for him under Postecoglou.
“I don’t think Spurs would have a problem holding on to him. They can rebuff bids for him. But it’s just down to the player’s desire as to what he wants and where he wants to be.
“Tottenham without European football is a blow for, one, keeping players and two, for recruitment.”
Indeed, European football next season would be a blow for Tottenham, especially in terms of finances and ability to attract top talents. It would also be difficult to keep hold of some of the quality players Ange has at his disposal, and Maddison certainly is one of those.
For a player of Maddison’s class, quality and experience, he deserves to play in Europe. The England international has been rotated in and out of the team by Big Ange, which would certainly have frustrated the player. This has disrupted his rhythm and not allowed the midfielder to deliver his best consistently.
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If Tottenham miss out on a place in Europe, the club chiefs would face an uphill battle to keep hold of Maddison.
