It felt impossible that Tottenham Hotspur would be back in the relegation zone in the Premier League this season. They commenced the new campaign with a new-look squad, boosted by investment worth over £300m, and had the impressive manager to boot. That is why, after six games, it beggars belief that they sit inside the bottom three.
If things don’t change, then there will be serious questions for Roberto De Zerbi and Tottenham’s recruitment team. For the latter, the main question will centre around why they decided to splash out on certain names. Did they spend for the sake of spending or was there a real plan?
For De Zerbi, there will be serious question marks over his use of Richarlison, who has been banished to the U21s.
Why Tottenham will regret Richarlison dispute
After missing out on a move away from the club when teams in Brazil came knocking, as well as Everton, according to reports, to say that Richarlison was an unhappy man would have been a major understatement.
And, as it turns out, De Zerbi doesn’t deal well with players who express that unhappiness.
An inevitable falling out quickly followed and there has been subtle digs going both ways ever since. De Zerbi has often responded in press conferences, while Richarlison has opted for social media as he continues his season with the U21s.
It becomes increasingly difficult to sway away from the definition of ‘Spursy’ when a player who’s scored 75 Premier League goals in his career is playing for the academy rather than the league’s lowest scorers.
When De Zerbi’s easiest solution is standing right in front of him, he should look to resolve the situation and not add fuel to the fire. Any ego will quickly become lost in that fire if Spurs end the campaign in the Championship.
In an ideal world, Spurs would no longer need the player who has fallen out with the manager. It is, however, the biggest consequence of their failed recruitment that Richarlison is continuing to steal the headlines from the U21s.
Why Tottenham star has been forgotten like Richarlison
When Spurs were on track to sign Cody Gakpo or Iliman Ndiaye, it looked like the finishing touch on De Zerbi’s side were set to arrive.
The attacking star who could complete his side was seemingly on his way. By the time the window slammed shut, however, neither of those stars found themselves in north London. Spurs had failed their manager.
The Lilywhites had a Plan A, before he stayed put at Liverpool. They then had a Plan B, before he chose to leave Everton for Manchester City instead. What they did not have was a Plan C and nothing says panic stations more than signing a winger who hadn’t played Premier League football in 646 days.
Signing Mykhailo Mudryk was nothing more than a sweet reunion between De Zerbi and a former star that he still rated. It was not a serious attempt to boost Spurs’ attack.
Once upon a time, Mudryk was dubbed a player with “the potential to win a Ballon d’Or” by De Zerbi himself, while at Shakhtar Donetsk.
Since then, that same story has nose-dived to the point where even the winger was unsure whether he still had a career – missing over two years following a doping ban.
It seems that only Spurs were surprised that, upon finally returning to action, Mudryk suffered an instant injury concern and has been missing ever since. The summer arrival is still not back in training and could be out until next month.
The 25-year-old’s arrival on loan in the summer was one centred around pure fantasy that he would finally realise his full potential following a reunion with De Zerbi.
After struggling for form before his doping ban, scoring ten goals in 73 games for Chelsea, a two-year layoff was always unlikely to help turn things around. And now it is Spurs who are paying the price.
