Last night Tottenham fell to Turkish side Galatasaray in a 3-2 game that saw Tottenham’s defense struggle mightily and their young striker, Will Lankshear, be sent off after receiving a 2nd yellow in the 60th minute. Here are my thoughts on the Spur’s disappointing display in Istanbul.
The first thing that was extremely easy to notice during the match was the struggles of Tottenham central defender Radu Dragusin. The 22-year-old Romanian was picked on quite frequently throughout the first half, and saw both of Victor Osimhen’s goals scored after a pass found its way by him.
Dragusin has not seen a lot of playing time for Tottenham this season, only being placed in the starting lineup when Micky Van de Ven and/or Cristian Romero are unavailable, however up until this point Dragusin has not struggled enough for it to be a point of concern.
With that being said, it is fairly clear that Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk felt that the young defender was the weak spot that he could target in an injury-riddled Tottenham defense.
While Dragusin clearly struggled in the first half, something does need to be said about the Romanian’s ability to rally himself.
Due to the extensive injuries Tottenham have suffered in the defense department, Dragusin was forced to play the full 90 minutes of the match, and although some other young players may have found themselves going through the motions in the second half and failing to correct their mistakes, Dragusin had a strong showing in the second half, which Tottenham finished without allowing another goal for the Turkish side.
However, Galatasaray already possessed a 2-goal advantage going into the second half, so it’s safe to assume that their attacking play was not quite as aggressive.
The question of whether or not the frankly terrible first half Dragusin had will have an impact on his play is yet to be answered, but his performance in the second half does seem to give Spur’s fans some hope that the young defenders struggles will not have a lasting impact.
A bright spot on a dark day for Spurs was one Dejan Kulusevski. The Swedish player seems to have become, ironically, a Swiss army knife for Spurs’ manager Ange Postecoglou.
While he hasn’t found consistent time as a starter yet this season, the struggles of James Maddison have seemingly opened the door for Kulusevski to prove himself worthy of being in the first team on a consistent basis, and the way the Swede has been playing feels like he is personally demanding that he be given a role in the first team.
Coming on as a sub to start the second half, Kulusevski quickly showcased himself as the most aggressive player on the pitch, actively sprinting down any Galatasaray defender who tried to sit on the ball.
It was through Kulusevski’s aggression that the ball was pushed downfield in the 69th minute, an attack that saw Porro cross the ball into Dominic Solanke who gave Spurs’ their second goal of the night.
Kulusevski’s play over the last month has shown a willingness to not only play wherever Postecoglou needs him but also an active desire to play with the exact ferociousness that the Australian manager’s team requires. It also could be seen throughout the second half that any time where Tottenham’s players seemed to be ready to give up, Kulusevski’s intense play would help them rally, creating multiple attacking chances for the Spurs.
While none of these chances came to fruition and tied the game, it is clear that Tottenham’s best chances to beat teams who have a lead on them come from the Swiss army knife that is Dejan Kulusevski.
The final big thing to point out from the Spurs’ defeat in Istanbul is the clear issue the defense has with opposing crosses. Tottenham started Fraser Forster as goalkeeper in place of Guglielmo Vicario, a decision most likely made to give Vicario some rest.
This gave Spurs’ fans a chance to find out if the issue with corner kicks and crosses lies squarely on Vicario’s shoulders, or if this is a tactical deficiency within Tottenham’s defense.
Unfortunately, the team fell victim to crosses throughout, and Victor Osimhen’s second goal came from a cross from Dries Mertens after the Nigerian striker perfectly timed a run off the shoulders of Tottenham’s central defenders.
While Spurs’ fans can hope that the team will identify the issue and find a way to correct it, currently there doesn’t seem to be much hope as the team has struggled in these situations since Ange Postecoglou’s tenure began. Until the side identifies their tactical mistakes, Spurs’ fans will be forced to hold their breath each time their opposition lifts a ball into the penalty area.
