Tottenham badge, Ange Postecoglou
Harry Redknapp has warned Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou against playing Archie Gray at centre-back for the clash with Chelsea.
The Australian was heckled by his own supporters following the 1-0 loss to Bournemouth on Thursday (5 December).
The former Leeds talent played as a makeshift right-back in the defeat but Ben Davies picked up an injury so Gray was required to fill in at the heart of the defence for 30 minutes.
Spurs are without Micky van de Ven and Davies, as well as possibly Cristian Romero, but Redknapp believes Gray should not be forced into another unfamiliar role.
He wrote in his column for The Sun [7 December]: “If they end up putting Archie Gray alongside Radu Dragusin, I wouldn’t fancy that much especially because the two full-backs love to attack and those two would be exposed.
“Archie is a fantastic young talent but playing centre-half against a Chelsea side in great form is a brave one.
“If I was Ange I would look to play a much more defensive-looking team.”
Archie Gray may be the only option for Tottenham boss
The 18-year-old put in a solid performance in an unfamiliar role despite the defeat on Thursday.
Argentine international Romero may be back for the contest but, if he is not ready, then Gray will have to continue in the makeshift back-line.
Archie Gray, Tottenham
Tottenham midfielder Archie Gray (Credit: Imago).
The former Leeds man completed nine passes into the final third and had an 80 per cent pass accuracy. [Fotmob]
Defensively, he made four recoveries, one block, one interception and two clearances in the contest, but recorded a 33 per cent success rate for tackles, winning just one of three attempts.
In terms of duels, he won five of the seven ground duels he contested for a 71 per cent success rate.
He has proved a valuable asset for Spurs but as a makeshift centre-back against one of the league’s in-form sides, it will be a big test of his abilities.
As Redknapp implies, it is not a risk worth taking in such a high-profile game.
In other Tottenham news, an insider has given an update on a potential departure of Dejan Kulusevski.
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