Pedro Porro has been the only Tottenham Hotspur defender who has managed to impress this season
Tottenham Hotspur have fallen well short of expectations this season. With the club barely making any progress in the Premier League, reinforcements are urgently needed to restore quality and depth across the squad.
The defence is an area where surgery is most required, as there have been no signs of improvement under Ange Postecoglou. Repeated individual and collective errors at the back, as well as an injury crisis, have constantly undermined Spurs’ progress.
Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Destiny Udogie, Radu Dragusin, Ben Davies, and Djed Spence have all spent time in the treatment room this season. The persistent injury problems have been the prime reason why the Lilywhites have failed to get any sort of stability and cohesiveness in the team, especially in defence.
Pedro Porro has been the only defender to not miss a single game due to injury this season. The right-back has made 46 appearances across all competitions, with 31 coming in the Premier League. He has supplied three goals and eight assists in the process, and been a mainstay in Ange Postecoglou-managed side’s defence.
Speaking ahead of Spurs’ trip to Liverpool on Sunday, Postecoglou was asked about Pedro Porro in his pre-match press conference. When asked how the Spaniard has managed to constantly stay fit and firing throughout the season in contrast to his teammates, the Tottenham boss stated (h/t Football London):
“He’s [Porro] a pro, he looks after himself, he does everything right on and off the field, but also he’s got the type of body that is resilient to the amount of intensity and game-time he’s had. It is a credit to him.
“It is not just that he’s playing, he has kept to a really good level all year and has been a mainstay for us in a defence where I hate to think of how many defensive partners he’s played with. Four goalkeepers and upwards of 10 different defenders that he’s played alongside, he’s kind of been a constant.
“He’s been brilliant for us. From the moment I arrived he’s got a great personality, got great enthusiasm and passion for the game. I think that is why he gets the most out of himself all the time.”
Porro has been an ever-present for Ange’s side in an injury-ravaged season, but his spot is now being targeted by Spence, who perhaps has been Tottenham’s best player since the turn of the year. When Udogie was on the sidelines, Spence proved his versatility by operating consistently at left-back. Now that the Italian is back fit, the Englishman is battling with Porro for the right-back spot.
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This healthy competition is required in every position in the squad. Porro lost his form a bit earlier this season, but competition from Spence has seen him hit back to the levels which he showed in the past two years. As a result, teenage prodigy Archie Gray’s game time has also dipped of late.
With the crucial Europa League semi-final against Bodo/Glimt on the horizon, Ange will want the duo to stay healthy and challenge each other for the right-back spot.
