There’s no two ways about it: Ange Postecoglou will be extremely disappointed with the way his Tottenham Hotspur side have performed during the business end of the campaign.
After the Lilywhites swept aside Aston Villa back in March, it seemed as though they’d cement themselves as a Champions League side ahead of next season, but five defeats in their last six matches meant that they fell short at the final hurdle.
Nonetheless, the Spurs squad doesn’t have much time to reflect on their downfall as they face Sheffield United at Bramall Lane this afternoon.
The boss will be desperate to end the season with a convincing victory, and in order to achieve that, a relatively new star must feature in the starting lineup.
Radu Dragusin’s 23/24 campaign
At the start of the season, the majority of the Spurs faithful won’t have ever heard of Radu Dragusin’s name before, but that’s certainly not the case anymore.
Up until the January transfer window, the “Romanian wall” played his football in Italy for Genoa, where he was regarded as a “terrific” defender by football scout Jacek Kulig.
The 22-year-old joined Tottenham for a fee of £25m during the winter after impressing over his 19 Serie A starts, but his game time at Spurs has been limited thus far.
Under the Australian boss, Dragusin has spent more time on the bench than on the field, making just eight Premier League appearances and only three starts, but after his showing against Manchester City in midweek, he’s set to feature in the starting lineup again today.
Radu Dragusin’s performance vs Manchester City
Prior to the clash against Pep Guardiola’s side, Dragusin had only played 15 minutes of action since his most recent start in March against Luton Town.
Although the 6 foot 3 rock’s minutes have been few and far between, there were no signs of any rust on Tuesday, as he not only completed the full match, but he also excelled.
The number six started alongside Cristian Romero at the heart of the Spurs backline, with Micky Van de Ven operating in a new left-back role due to the position lacking reinforcement because of injuries.
Football.London were particularly impressed with Dragusin, handing him a joint-team-high rating of 8/10, describing his performance as “a very good display against top opposition.”
Passes completed
67
59
Touches
88
72
Tackles
4
1
Interceptions
2
2
Duels won
7/9
3/5
Dribbled past
0
0
As you can see, the statistics also support that rating, with the defender looking comfortable on the ball while also showing his defensive capabilities.
What initially stood out was the young centre-back's proactive and aggressive approach to defending, making four tackles, two interceptions, and winning seven of his nine duels.
Furthermore, he showed great composure on the ball, which highlighted his confidence, taking a huge 88 touches and making 67 passes, the most passes completed by any defender on the pitch.
In addition, just like his defensive partner Romero, it’s clear that Dragusin loves the art of defending, often putting his body on the line for the team.
This was highlighted in the first half against the Citizens when he made a brave headed block to stop a certain goal from Bernardo Silva, and although it wouldn’t have counted due to offside, journalist Alasdair Gold described his reaction as “he celebrates it like a goal.”
Although the amount of defending Spurs will endure against the Blades is far less than their tie against City, Dragusin will play an important role today as he bids to impress Postecoglou.
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