Tottenham boss Postecoglou hammered final nail into Dier’s coffin against Villa
Ange Postecoglou previews Aston Villa clash
Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham team selection against Aston Villa was particularly telling in the case of Eric Dier. Being left untouched on the bench behind a makeshift defensive line should tell the former England international all he needs to know leading up to the January transfer window.
Injuries have ravaged Postecoglou’s squad in recent weeks, derailing his electric start to the Premier League season. Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero have been big misses at centre-back, and Villa managed to exploit their absence on Sunday.
Despite falling behind to a Giovani Lo Celso opener, the West Midlands outfit fought back through Pau Torres and Ollie Watkins to leapfrog Spurs and go fourth in the Premier League table.
As an attempt to remedy his injury crisis, Postecoglou fielded Ben Davies and Emerson Royal in central defence – two full-backs by trade – which left Dier scratching his head on the sidelines.
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The 29-year-old will surely be wondering what he has to do to get a game under the former Celtic manager. Dier has notched fewer than 150 minutes of competitive action across all competitions this term, including only one start.
With just over six months left to run on his Tottenham contract, Dier will be at liberty to agree a free summer move with an overseas club during the January window. A cut-price switch elsewhere in the Premier League could also be on the cards.
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Staying at Spurs appears to be out of the question, however, in light of Postecoglou’s latest team selection. Dier is one shy of 50 England caps and may harbour faint hopes of a call-up to Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2024 squad, but regular football would be an absolute must between now and the end of the season.
The utility man, who spent much of his childhood in Portugal with the Sporting Lisbon academy, has made over 350 appearances for Spurs since signing in 2014. But it is clear that he is now deemed surplus to requirements.
As a significant earner on the wage bill, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy would surely welcome the opportunity to move Dier on.
The north Londoners will be up against it over the coming weeks as Postecoglou attempts to steady the ship. Meetings with Manchester City and Newcastle United are on the horizon, which could do more damage to Spurs’ Premier League aspirations.
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