Tottenham Hotspur progressed into the next round of the FA Cup with a dramatic victory over Southampton on Wednesday evening, setting up a tie with Norwich City.
Spurs won 3-2 courtesy of Heung-min Son’s 87th-minute penalty, but a tactical decision from their manager Jose Mourinho has got fans talking on social media.
Eric Dier was named in the starting lineup in central midfield, alongside Harry Winks and Tanguy Ndombele, before briefly dropping into defence in the second half – it was the Englishman’s 14th start of the season from 20 appearances, per Transfermakt.
It appears as if sections of the home faithful were far from pleased with what they saw, here’s what has been said…
“Pathetic” and “bang average” were just two of the scathing reviews given by supporters on Dier’s display against the Saints whilst another fan told the 26-year-old to take notes on new signing Gedson Fernandes after he made an impact off the bench in the second half.
A further member of the home crowd claimed Dier needed to receive the Victor Wanyama treatment, presumably, that means being dropped and forced out of the senior fold entirely.
It has led to discussion over why the midfielder wasn’t sold when they had an opportunity to get rid…
Manchester United were reportedly keen on signing him for £50m in the summer of 2017, coincidentally when Mourinho was in charge at Old Trafford. The Guardian claimed Spurs were hell-bent on keeping him in north London.
One supporter even wants Dier to be the first player out the door at the end of the season. However, they may not have to settle for less given his Transfermarkt rating of £27m.
And then there were more fans picking out his main weaknesses…
It was also joked that Dier looks like he is playing in concrete football boots whilst another suggested that he moved like a cement truck with flat tires – something you’d imagine would be completely stationary – another damning indictment towards his performance.
There were even claims that he was anonymous in the heart of midfield with him being brandished as “abysmal” and “non-existent.”
SofaScore, on the other hand, handed him a 7.0 rating – the third-highest amongst the Spurs starting line up after he recorded an 88% passing accuracy, won 72% of his duels and managed two tackles.
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And in other news, Spurs correspondent Alasdair Gold has also offered his verdict on the struggling England ace…