Because of the injury suffered by Micky van de Ven in the 4-0 against Aston Villa, Tottenham fans were able to see a bit more of Radu Dragusin at the weekend.
The centre-back has only appeared at the end of games to date despite being a big January signing for Spurs, and it has been repeated many times this was always the plan when he was bought, with the Dutchman and Cristian Romero playing so well.
However, Van de Ven’s setback thrust Dragusin into the spotlight a bit earlier than expected, with his agent Florin Manea telling Fanatik that everything is going well and still on track.
He said: “They had a well-laid plan. He had to wait his turn and help his team. It was natural, because the two centre-backs played very well together and it was hard to take them out. From one point of view, it wasn’t normal to take them out.
“I was talking to someone at the club and he told me he’s training exceptionally well. You can’t blame him. Training is like a match for Radu. That’s what we’ve been aiming for for years. The way you train is the way you play.”
Ange Postecoglou was quick to praise Dragusin after his impromptu appearance against Aston Villa, and it was clear to see the Romanian enjoyed the experience.
The 22-year-old was bought by Tottenham for an initial €25m early on in the January transfer window, allowing more depth in the squad in a position that had been plagued with injuries and suspensions earlier on in the campaign.
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‘…such a high ceiling’ Postecoglou dishes out the praise for Spurs’ 21yr old
The win at Villa this weekend brought the feel-good factor back to Hotspur Way and kept Spurs in contention for that much sought-after European qualifying slot.
It’s been a rough few months for Spurs with so many injuries, some serious and others just niggles, but the pressure was beginning to show with Postecoglou’s brand of fast-paced, on-the-front-foot football being frequently marginalised, simply down to absences and the reality of returning players needing at achieve match fitness again.
Two players key to our new and improved midfield have been recent signings, Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr.
Sarr is a remarkable player, just 21 years old, and has made himself indispensable in a top-flight Premier League side, without him, Spurs are looking at the likes of Oliver Skipp, who doesn’t offer what Ange needs. Postecoglou told the official website:
“He always gives everything. I thought he was unlucky with the yellow card, to be honest, but, again, he handled himself well. For a young man, he’s very mature and the beauty of guys like that, and we’ve a few in our team, they’ve got such a high ceiling… in fact, they’ve probably got no ceiling to the kind of footballers they can be.”
Clubs frequently talk about securing young talent and nurturing it, but in reality, it is a routinely tough, hit-and-miss process. For every Sarr, whose exceptional cross found James Maddison on Sunday, there is a Ryan Sessegnon. To also hear that Sarr has maturity is extremely welcome as that will hopefully keep him on the right path, moving forward.
