Ange must axe Spurs star who could’ve once fit in “every team in the world”

Ange Postecoglou has been in the job at Tottenham Hotspur for almost a year and a half now, and it would be fair to say that he’s endured a mixed tenure thus far.

For example, he’s been able to turn what was one of the Premier League’s most boring teams under previous managers into arguably one of the most entertaining sides in Europe, let alone England.

However, he hasn’t been able to solve the club’s serious issue with consistency, and the last few weeks have shone a glaring spotlight on exactly that.

Moreover, the club’s unpredictable form has seen one of their most promising and exciting talents become something of a liability this season.

Tottenham Hotspur’s recent form

Spurs started this season in worrying form, drawing away to newly promoted Leicester City, losing to a weakened Arsenal at home and only just about getting over the line against Championship side Coventry City in the League Cup.

However, that late fightback against the Sky Blues acted as a sort of reset for the North Londoners, and thanks to the sensational goalscoring form of Brennan Johnson, the team went on to win their next four games, which also saw them dismantle Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Unfortunately, as has been the hallmark of Postecoglou’s reign thus far, the inconsistency returned.

Since their 3-2 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion in early August, the Lilywhites have dropped points against Crystal Palace, Ipswich Town, Galatasaray, Fulham, AS Roma and, most recently, Bournemouth.

Now, they did put in a masterclass of a performance away to Manchester City two weeks ago, but that stands as the club’s only win in the last six games, which is the sort of form that could see a manager given the sack.

There have been injury problems that must be taken into account, but even then, some of the worst displays have come from the regular starters who are still fit, including one who was looked at as one of the most promising players in his position last season, and now has to be dropped.

The Spurs star who must be dropped

So, to get right to the point, the player in question is none other than Destiny Udogie.

The promising full-back initially joined Spurs for £15m from Serie A side Udinese in the summer of 2022, and after spending another season on loan in Italy, played his first full season with the Lilywhites last year, and what a season it was.

In all, the 22-year-old made 30 appearances for Postecoglou, scoring two goals, providing three assists, and even being the club’s first nomination for the Premier League’s Young Player of the Year Award.

It was practically the perfect debut campaign for the talented full-back, and he certainly impressed the watching media, with journalist Hunter Godson proclaiming that he “gets into nearly every team in the world” – high praise indeed.

Unfortunately, this year has been notably different, and instead of a fearless young full-back who looks prepared to take anyone on and capable of stopping any winger, we’ve seen an altogether less dynamic, less confident and generally less capable player.

We can see this drop off in the simple fact that in his 18 appearances to date, the Verona-born gem has provided just a single assist and has put in several notably poor performances.

For example, respected Spurs writer Alasdair Gold awarded him just a 5/10 match rating against Ipswich Town, a miserable 3/10 rating against Brighton, and another 5/10 against Palace.

Now, there is undoubtedly a possibility that this utter collapse in form is related to the hamstring injury he picked up towards the end of last season, but even then, it’s still a problem for Postecoglou.

Ultimately, while Udogie is an exciting talent, his form has been nothing short of shambolic this season, and for his own and the team’s sake, the manager should be looking to take him out of the team for a while, especially when there are players who could step in for him in the squad.