Tottenham’s 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough in the FA Cup on Sunday was one of those games where the Lilywhites could quite easily have been on the wrong end of an FA Cup ‘giant-killing’, as the Championship side were more than good enough to go toe-to-toe with Spurs.
As it was, Ashley Fletcher’s opener was cancelled out by Lucas Moura’s back-post header, but that still isn’t good enough for a team as talented as Tottenham’s. Jonathan Woodgate’s Boro certainly made Spurs work, but ultimately this is a failing from the travelling side.
There were a whole load of players out on the pitch in white who fell below the standards of what Tottenham fans have expected over the last few years, and one of them is a name that keeps cropping up as one who is failing to impress, Eric Dier.
The 27-year-old is a player who simply doesn’t hit the required standard anymore. He’s no longer a young player, and with the question marks over his best position still cropping up as he enters what should be his prime years as a player, Jose Mourinho must have his concerns.
So far this season, though, Mourinho seems to fancy Dier. Nine of Dier’s 15 appearances this season have come since the Portuguese tactician took charge (Transfermarkt), with some at centre-back and others at the base of the midfield, and wherever the 40-cap England man plays, he’s not good enough.
At centre-back, all three of Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen and Davinson Sanchez are clearly better than the Englishman, and there will even be shouts that Juan Foyth is above him too. That leaves the holding midfield role, but the question marks remain over his quality in possession if he is to make that role his own.
Is Dier good enough?
Yes
No
Should Dier go into the next game against Liverpool and help the Lilywhites to a win with a man of the match performance then we’re happy to be proven wrong, but finding levels like that simply seems to be beyond the ex-Sporting man at this point in his career.