Stewart Downing believes Djed Spence will benefit from the system at Tottenham Hotspur
In conversation with bettingexpert as quoted by The Mirror, former Liverpool player Stewart Downing believes that Djed Spence is more suited to the playing style of Tottenham Hotspur compared to Arsenal.
Antonio Conte has helped transform our fortunes to a certain extent in this campaign. Whilst a top-four finish in the PL seemed a distant dream before the arrival of the Italian manager, Spurs are now in firm contention for a UEFA Champions League spot next season.
That being said, there is still a lot of work to be done at Hotspur Way as evident by our last two matches. New recruitment could go a long way in helping us add more depth as well as compete for more competitions going forward. The acquisition of the 21-year-old wing-back could therefore be a great way to set the tone for the coming seasons.
Downing had some interesting comments with respect to Spence and the Lilywhites which would be music to the ears of our fanbase. These comments would be especially sweeter considering that he opines that Spurs could be a better fit over our North London rivals for the youngster.
“I like the way Spurs play with a wing-back system, I know they’re quite defensive but I think Conte likes the wing-backs to go up and down – that suits his (Spence’s) game. I’m not sure about Arsenal, I think he would have to do another level.
A young wing-back at Hotspur Way?
The English wing-back has been impressive with his current loan spell at Nottingham Forest. The youngster has bagged three goals and five assists in 44 matches across all competitions so far this season.
The 21-year-old has been a constant menace down the right flank, causing a lot of worry for opposition players. Spence has played as a right-back as well as a right midfielder this season. He has also played in the left-back position on a few occasions in the past.
Spurs were flying high until very recently but their attacking woes have been quite visible in the last couple of games. The absence of Matt Doherty on the right side along with a shuffling between Sergio Reguilon and Ryan Sessegnon on the left flank means that we have struggled to open up defences in our last couple of games.
Emerson Royal has also struggled to have the same kind of impact as the former Wolverhampton Wanderers wing-back. In such circumstances, the addition of another wing-back could help bolster Conte’s option at the club from N-17.
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That being said, Spence is still relatively young, and asking him to come into the first-team setup instantly and provide a substantial difference would be a big burden. He could be an understudy to Doherty and develop his craft further, as we hope that the Irish wing-back makes a swift recovery.
It will be interesting to see if Spurs heed the remarks of Stewart Downing, and go all out to bring the young English professional to Hotspur Way. The requirement for an exciting new wing-back seems more pressing than ever, and Djed Spence could hopefully be the answer to those gaping holes on the flanks.
