Former Spurs player, Chris Waddle has claimed that he is “not sure James Maddison is a Conte player”. This emerges as the Lilywhites are apparently holding a keen interest in the midfielder, according to Givemesport.
In an interview with Topratedcasinos, the former Spurs player stated:
“You’ve got to have a certain style of play, to accommodate James Maddison i.e. Jack Grealish, very similar. They’re not the best without the ball, so you’ve got to build a team to compensate for that.
The only way you can get a creative player in that team is if you don’t play three up front and instead go with a two. Kane and Son, Kane and Richarlison, go back to a back four even.
They’ve tried a lot of players over the years, Lamela, Gil who was on the bench at the weekend. They’ve tried to bring players like Ndombele who’s gone to Italy, he’s a technically gifted midfield player who on his day is fantastic.”
I can see where Waddle is coming from with the fact you have to accommodate certain players like Maddison, but I think his talent justifies this.
The £50 million rated star, is currently one of the league’s best performers, sitting with seven goal contributions in seven games. Ranking him in the top 4% (across Europe’s top five leagues) for non-penalty goals per 90, for players in his position.
Many Spurs fans will admit that the Lilywhites have struggled to find a player that can unlock a defence a sitting defence since Christian Eriksen left the club. Tanguy N’Dombele showed glimpses of that talent, however the Frenchman could not provide on a regular basis.
Where would Maddison fit into the side?
If Maddison was to move North London, Antonio Conte would likely have to revert to the 3-5-2 formation he adopted while at Inter Milan. Conte played with one more defensive minded midfielder at the base of midfield (Marcelo Brozovic) and in front of them would be two roaming 8s (Christian Eriksen and Nicolo Barella). This is where Maddison could slot in perfectly.
Conte would push for Barella to enter the final third of the pitch and link with the two strikers, which is where I believe Maddison could shine for Spurs.
Spurs fans, would you take Maddison at Spurs?