De Zerbi must bench Spurs star who had his worst game yet

On another day, a draw at Old Trafford wouldn’t look all that disastrous. On the day that Tottenham Hotspur had, however, they should have their heads in their hands.

The Lilywhites were dominant for the majority of the afternoon, but were forced to come from behind to salvage a late point.

It sums up both their and Man United’s struggles, but should have provided Roberto De Zerbi with further answers about his side that he can dwell on over the next nine days.

Tottenham problems are clear after Man Utd draw

After they spent more than £300m in the summer, it still seems absurd that Spurs are yet to win a Premier League game after six attempts this season. They revamped their backline, reinforced their midfield and, on paper, added some much-needed attacking spark courtesy of Manchester City.

REUTERS/Phil Noble

After the start that Omar Marmoush and Savio have endured, however, some Spurs fans may be demanding the Premier League to hand Man City a 116th charge. The attacking duo are yet to find the back of the net and their respective issues were clear as day at Old Trafford.

Savio, to his credit, showed signs of his brilliance. But they were the same signs that Man City fans saw for two seasons before it became clear that there would be no end product. So will that end product finally arrive in North London? It certainly didn’t at Old Trafford.

De Zerbi will be pulling his hair out looking at the numbers. Savio did everything but find a goal involvement against Man United. No one completed more dribbles or took more touches inside United’s box than the South American. Yet, not a single shot arrived. It was flashy, but it was not effective.

And then there’s Marmoush, who emerged from the bench before producing another disappointing cameo – completing just one dribble and failing to take a single shot. It’s a problem for Spurs.

It’s quite the trend, too. New signings are failing to hit the ground running all across the pitch with others also struggling alongside Marmoush and Savio.

New Spurs signing had his worst game yet vs Man Utd

If football was a game of aesthetics, then Saturday’s trip to Old Trafford would have felt like a victory for Tottenham. Everything they did looked nice. It looked like an idea – a system – was beginning to form. There were positive signs. But once again, they did not come away with the three points to match.

When Man United stepped up, punched the ball into Bryan Mbeumo’s feet and Tottenham allowed him to turn and finish, Spurs once again bared the look of a side full of dented egos.

Jan Paul van Hecke’s performance is the best way to look at where things went wrong for the visitors.

REUTERS/Paul Childs

Again, like many, the defender was pleasing on the eye. He was signed for his passing range and that showed – breaking the lines ten times in possession. But, before anything, he was signed to shore up De Zerbi’s backline – something he simply hasn’t done.

As impressive as the Dutchman’s passing range is, if he can’t get the defensive side of his game right, then Spurs are harbouring their greatest weakness in the hope that they can use his biggest strength.

Van Hecke faced his fair share of criticism from pundits watching on, including talkSPORT’s Jamie O’Hara, who described the Dutchman as “absolute guff”. Harsh words for sure, but the outspoken former midfielder did not stop there.

“Who signed Van Hecke, who?” O’Hara questioned. “He needs sacking, he needs sacking. Brighton have had our absolute pants down; they have had our pants down. “And we let Vuskovic go, and we got a donkey at the back.”

Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs

It’s hard to argue with that verdict that he was poor, and with Marcos Senesi enjoying a solid display next to him, worrying for the Dutchman, Van Hecke could lose his place when his fellow countryman, Micky van de Ven, re-enters the side.

Even after a £52m move, the former Brighton man could be forced to watch on from the bench.