We all know that very little can be said about Tottenham’s weekend defeat to Brighton on a positive note. However, trying to keep upbeat and optimistic over the result and the situation at Spurs is imperative, and if the fans are to take anything from the loss then it’s the re-introduction of Eric Dier.
The England midfield man was very rusty in the middle of the park and hardly put in a great display, but having played 90 minutes on just six occasions in 2019, Transfermarkt, there are almost certainly cobwebs to blowout before he can get into his stride and start playing his best football.
Mauricio Pochettino will know this better than anyone, but if he wants to get the right man to screen his back four then that man is almost certainly Dier, it will just take a period of re-integration getting the midfield stopper back into the side.
Against Brighton, no one really stood up apart from Lucas Moura in the final 15 minutes of the tie after he entered from the bench, but that doesn’t excuse anyone from individual errors, and Dier did make a few as he looked as sloppy as ever in possession on the day.
Out of possession, the ex-Sporting Lisbon man did look the part as he made four tackles, one clearance and one interception, but keeping a pass success rate of just 74% from his 50 attempted passes was poor, and it was clear that Harry Winks was missed in possession, stats via WhoScored.
With the international break now upon us and Dier not included in the England squad, the midfielder has a chance to get back to basics and work on his game on the training ground with Mauricio Pochettino and those who aren’t away with their countries, which should provide him with some time to get his sharpness back.
Fortunately, after the round of international fixtures, the Lilywhites host winless Watford, and that game against the struggling Hornets should provide Dier with a chance to ease his way back into first-team life at a much easier pace than Brighton allowed him over the weekend.