The ongoing spat between Richarlison and Roberto De Zerbi is worthy of any reality show. There’s even been space for an awkward camera pan towards the Brazilian when Tottenham Hotspur missed chance after chance against Manchester United, before salvaging a draw and finishing last weekend in 19th.
Then there’s the recent squad photo, which still included Richarlison. The forward let his face do the talking, putting on an angered front whilst the rest of the squad bared their teeth in happier fashion around him.
The latest twist arrived earlier this week, however, when Richarlison scored for Tottenham’s U21s against Cheltenham Town in the Football League Trophy.
How Richarlison is continuing to prove De Zerbi wrong
It’s easy to imagine a slightly awkward atmosphere in the Tottenham U21s’ dressing room when 29-year-old Richarlison walked through the door. He must be wondering just how he got here, playing Cheltenham on a Tuesday night in a competition delegated to the academy.
To the forward’s credit, however, he is taking every chance he gets to prove De Zerbi wrong. Against League Two opposition, he unsurprisingly enjoyed his evening and netted once before Spurs drew 2-2 and eventually lost on penalties.
As long as Tottenham continue to struggle for goals, Richarlison’s name will keep coming up. And rightly so. De Zerbi relegated arguably his best and most proven striker, having failed to settle a transfer dispute away from the pitch.
It’s one thing to stand firm. It’s another thing entirely to do so whilst your side languish in the bottom three as the league’s worst goalscorers.
Despite falling out with his manager, Richarlison is still a striker who has scored 75 Premier League goals throughout his career, with two of those coming in the last four games of last season to drag Spurs to safety.
As stubborn as De Zerbi is, it should be another forward banished to the U21s and not one of his most reliable attackers.
De Zerbi should send struggling star to U21s
If De Zerbi is in a ruthless mood and the natural punishment is going to be a trip to the U21s, then it’s not just Richarlison who should suffer.
There’s no hiding away from the disastrous start that the Lilywhites have endured to the campaign, with three goals in six games just about summing things up.
One player who has hardly helped that record is Mathys Tel. The 21-year-old is not ready for another relegation scrap and is quickly earning his place as the latest scapegoat in north London.
It’s hard to argue against the blame game on this occasion, either. Tel scored just four goals last season and has picked up where he left off this season, failing to score or assist in four games.
Unlike Richarlison, a move to the U21s may actually boost Tel’s confidence. It certainly helped when he played for France’s U21s during the international break, when he netted an unexpected hat-trick for his country. A period out of the spotlight in north London could help in similar fashion.
The most damning statistic for Spurs will be how Tel struggles to get involved at senior level. From scoring hat-tricks at youth level, the former Bayern Munich man has taken just one shot on target in the Premier League this season and is undeniably a £30m flop.
|
Mathys Tel in the Premier League 26/27 |
|
|---|---|
|
Minutes |
259 |
|
Goals |
0 |
|
Assists |
0 |
|
Shots on target |
1 |
|
Touches in opposition box |
24 |
|
Sprints per 90 |
11.47 |
Out of possession, meanwhile, the 21-year-old is also struggling to make his mark or match the intensity of De Zerbi’s system, making an average of 11.47 sprints per 90 minutes. Even amid technical struggles, that number must be better if he is to earn his place.
It’s becoming clear that Tottenham and De Zerbi have a decision to make and the U21s should welcome yet another senior player in the coming weeks.
