Tottenham midfielder James Maddison has received a bit of criticism from pundit Roy Keane
Tottenham Hotspur lost to Newcastle United away on Sunday which was the first real setback in the new season for Ange Postecoglou and Co.
The north London club now sit in mid-table after three Premier League games, picking up only four points from a possible nine. While many Tottenham fans will be disappointed with their team’s lack of ruthless approach on the pitch, pundit Roy Keane has picked out something else he’s not happy about from this weekend’s game.
The ex-Manchester United skipper feels Tottenham star James Maddison has not been able to influence games as he would have liked to away from home. He has ‘question marks’ over James Maddison, urging the Spurs playmaker to show a bit of ‘personality’ out on the pitch.
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“I have still got my question marks over Maddison, particularly, away from home,” said Keane on Sky Sports Football (h/t Caught Offside).
“There are always question marks over him. He has had a couple of disappointments in the last few months with England. But if you give him time and space. If Son is making runs in behind – that’s up to Spurs to get some decent possession and use his intelligence.
“All he needs is one or two opportunities to get on it – I still think there is more to come from Maddison. That’s where he needs to show his personality. He has had his disappointments, every player in their careers will have setbacks. It’s how he deals with it. The next few months are going to be big for him.”
James Maddison turned out to be a shrewd acquisition for Spurs last summer, arriving from then-relegated Leicester City in a £40 million deal. He quickly became the creative glue for Big Ange’s side, bringing flair, creativity and dynamism as a No.10 before the injury setback. The £170,000-per-week playmaker returned from injury off-colour and failed to impact games as much as he would have liked to in the second half of last season.
This was reflected in the England set-up with Gareth Southgate leaving him out of the Three Lions’ Euro 2024 squad. Southgate resigned after England were beaten 2-1 by Spain in the Euro 2024 final, and now Lee Carsley has taken interim charge, but he has decided to not pick Maddison in his squad for upcoming Nations League fixtures against Ireland and Finland.
It has come as another setback for Maddison, despite the playmaker starting the new season in fine fashion with two assists in three Premier League games. Given the player’s quality and ability to decide games single-handedly, it is quite understandable why pundits like Keane are expecting more from the 27-year-old.
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Up next for Spurs is the North London derby after the international break, and this is a great chance for Maddison to show his quality and personality. If the England international can put in a big performance against Arsenal and help us get three points, then it will represent a strong riposte to Keane.
