Here is your Tottenham Hotspur digest for Monday, May 4.
Tanganga discusses ‘crazy’ season
Japhet Tanganga made his Spurs breakthrough this season. The young defender has reflected on his experiences with the Tottenham first team and under new manager, Jose Mourinho.
"It was crazy. It just goes to show that anything can happen. This time last year could I see myself in this position? I don't think so," he admitted. "It just goes to show how quickly things can change in football.”
On Mourinho, Tanganga explained how his game has improved by getting to work with the renowned defensive coach.
“He has taught me a lot,” Tanganga said. “In training, he's given me a lot of information, a lot of details, a lot of ways to improve. How to defend one v one, how to defend set-pieces or work in wide areas and at corners.
“He's given me a lot of information and I feel playing right-back and left-back has added to my game and allowed me to be adaptable and defend in all areas of the pitch, not just at centre-half.
“It's helped me be able to defend out wide and put crosses in. So yeah he's helped me a lot, given a lot of information, he's really been very helpful.”
Tanganga also challenged claims that Mourinho does not help young players.
“Even before, I'm pretty sure that when he was at Real Madrid, Raphael Varane was very young and in the team,” Tanganga said. “The same at United, [Scott] McTominay came through there.
“He's the same as every manager – they want to give young players a chance but it's up to the young player to show them they're capable of coping in whatever league they're in, Premier League or La Liga.
“It's not just down to the manager wanting to play you, it's down to the young player showing the determination to the manager that they want to play as well.”
Bent puzzled by Hojbjerg links
Amid links with the free-agent transfer of Southampton midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, former Spurs striker Darren Bent has questioned the wisdom of the move.
Bent says that his former club should be aiming for higher than Hojbjerg, especially when considering the midfielders they have had and lost in recent years.
“Listen, Hojbjerg’s a very good player and he’s had a fantastic season at Southampton but you look at someone like him and go: ‘Is he going to make them better?’” Bent told Football Insider.
“This is a team that’s got to be competing for Champions Leagues and trophies. If they get Hojbjerg and maybe lose Ndombele, does he make them that much better? Will he be a player other players look at and go: ‘I want to go and play with him?’ I’m not quite sure.
“When you look at Spurs, and I’m not disrespecting Hojbjerg one bit, he’s had a very, very good season, look at where Spurs have come from in the last eight years or whatever, you talk about Mousa Dembele, Scott Parker, Luka Modric, Wanyama – they’ve had so many very good midfielder players.
“All of sudden you think: ‘Hold on a second here, yes Hojbjerg’s a very good player but will he make them better where people go Spurs are really serious?’ I’m not so sure.”
The six options to end the season
The Premier League is debating how to end the current season.
Spurs and the other 19 teams are waiting for their plans amid ‘Project Restart’, which has scheduled the campaign resume on June 12 with the remaining matches played in neutral venues across the country, football.london has considered the six different options currently on the table.
The pros and cons have been outlined of finishing the season behind closed doors, finishing the league with points per game, taking the first 19 games of the season, or judging the standings as they are now.
The possibility of calling the season null and void, which the Premier League is keen to avoid, or ending the season but without relegation and promoting Leeds United and West Brom from the Championship and having a 22-game league campaign next year are also considered.
You can read the full piece here .
