Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou not picking Dejan Kulusevski in the starting XI against Leicester City was surprising
Tottenham Hotspur have entered the 2024/25 Premier League season with high expectations after an impressive first year under Ange Postecoglou. Despite an injury-ravaged debut campaign, Ange Postecoglou earned plaudits for his attacking style of play from fans and pundits alike.
Off the back of a strong pre-season tour, Tottenham went into the opening game of the new season against newbies Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on a high. However, after dominating large periods of the game, they could only manage a point in the East Midlands.
One element that surprised the fans on Monday night was Dejan Kulusevski not starting against Leicester City. Big Ange decided to hand record-signing Dominic Solanke his debut up top, with skipper Son Heung-min and Brennan Johnson operating from wide areas.
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The idea to not start Dejan Kulusevski was a headscratcher, especially after him being one of our best performers in the pre season. In a Q&A session with the fans, Football London’s Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold also expressed his surprise over Big Ange’s decision to not start the Swedish winger in the club’s first game of the 2024/25 campaign.
“I thought it was very harsh on Kulusevski. Ange wanted pace down the flanks but the Swede was Spurs’ best player this summer by a long distance. I would be surprised if he doesn’t start against Everton as he can battle and provide the quality,” Alasdair Gold replied to a fan.
The 1-1 draw at Leicester wasn’t the desired result for Big Ange’s side after playing so well for large parts of the game. They have suffered a double blow ahead of the clash against Everton, with Rodrigo Bentancur and Dominic Solanke ruled out due to a concussion protocol and a knock, respectively.
This will force Ange Postecoglou to make changes to his starting XI against the Toffees. Solanke missing out has perhaps opened the door for Dejan Kulusevski to potentially start after being unlucky to miss out on Monday.
The £110k-per-week star, being left-footed, brings a different dynamic in the final third as compared to Johnson and Richarlison. He can go both ways and make life difficult for an Everton defence ravaged by injuries from the onset, if handed a start.
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Gold, like most Spurs fans, felt Postecoglou’s decision to not include Kulusevski in Spurs’ first XI against the Foxes as harsh after a strong pre-season campaign. it will be interesting to see how our team lines up on Saturday and whether the Swedish attacker gets an opportunity to impress from the first minute or not.