Tottenham Hotspur have yet to click as a unit this season, picking up three points from a possible 18 in the Premier League.
The huge summer outlay has not yielded desired results on the pitch, with the Lilywhites scoring the fewest goals (three) after six games. The club spending close to £400 million has done little to improve performances on the pitch.
A big reason for Spurs’ struggles is their wastefulness in front of goal. Roberto De Zerbi’s side are not entirely poor in the final third, as they do create good chances. In their last game against Manchester United, Tottenham created several decent openings but still came away without a victory. As a result, certain sections of the supporters have been questioning the hierarchy for some of their decisions during the summer transfer window.
Roberto De Zerbi backed his number nine with the armband at Old Trafford and watched him deliver the ultimate response on the pitch. [Photo via Tottenham Hotspur]
Ex-championship striker lauds former Tottenham academy starlet
Dominic Solanke netted a late equaliser against Man United after Tottenham were reduced to 10 men, but the England international notably missed several big chances in the first half. Well, chance conversion has certainly not been a problem for a Tottenham academy talent, who the club sold in the summer.
Will Lankshear joined Middlesbrough for £20m, including add-ons, in the summer. The 21-year-old has been prolific in the Championship so far this season, and he, by himself, has managed to outscore the entirety of the Tottenham team. The English striker netted his 10th goal of the season for Middlesbrough, who beat Stoke City 3-2 on Tuesday evening.
The youngster showed great composure in front of goal, reacting and tapping the ball home after the Stoke goalkeeper split a long-range effort. Now, evaluating Will Lankshear’s display, former Championship striker Sam Parkin lauded the striker for his impressive one-touch finishing ability vs. Stoke City.
“A standard finish from Will Lankshear,” Parkin said on What The EFL podcast.
“That’s 10 goals now, all one touch, which, having been a centre forward of a similar mould, is an incredible stat, really. Because even I would maybe take a heavy first touch and then bundle one in on occasion.
“So, to be notching in similar fashion with such regularity is very interesting.”
Roberto De Zerbi has no regrets over selling Lankshear
When asked directly in September if he had regrets over selling Lankshear, De Zerbi straightaway denied it. The Italian insisted that Spurs have the firepower needed to score goals, and Richarlison’s exclusion from the Premier League squad was a situation no one saw coming.
In a week where Solanke was guilty of missing chances against Man United before finally scoring an equaliser, opportunities that could have easily won Tottenham their first game of the Premier League season, Lankshear scored yet again in a Boro shirt. Now, Spurs’ decision to let the Englishman leave appears all the more frustrating.
However, the North Londoners retain matching rights and a sell-on clause as part of the agreement that took Lankshear to Boro, but only time will tell whether they consider bringing him back to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.