Report: Alasdair Gold shocked by 'frustrating' thing he's spotted James Maddison doing in Tottenham pre-season
He really needs to find his form... ????
Tottenham Hotspur have made the perfect start to pre-season this summer with four wins from four.
Ange Postecoglou‘s side last played on Wednesday against a K League XI in Seoul, South Korea where they came out on top in a 4-3 victory.
There have been some standout performers for Tottenham so far this summer with the Lilywhites boasting a squad filled with young talent.
The likes of Archie Gray and Mikey Moore have showcased some of the exciting youngsters which the club currently have in their ranks.
However, one player who has struggled to get up and running this summer is James Maddison despite having the summer off.
And he has now been spotted doing something during pre-season which may not sit right with many at Tottenham.
What James Maddison did in Spurs friendly vs K League All Stars
Although Tottenham have been electric on the pitch, the same cannot be said when it comes to their activity in the summer market.
Daniel Levy has been able to get three signings over the line but two of them have to be caveated.
Timo Werner has been retained on a season-long loan and Yang Min-hyeok will not arrive until January next year.
But this has provided the players who have made the trip to Asia with a golden opportunity to demonstrate just why they should be in Postecoglou’s plans for the new season.
According to Spurs reporter Alasdair Gold, Maddison was spotted finding himself avoiding passes to some of the youngsters in the Spurs side.
And this was not just on one occasion, Gold noticed this numerous times on Wednesday after Maddison came on for the second half.
Gold even admitted he had noticed the ‘frustrating tendency’ to have become a bit of pattern for Maddison over the course of the pre-season games.
Given Maddison is yet to really show any sign he is getting back to his best, the former England international could do with bringing the likes of Moore into the game more frequently.
Is James Maddison a guaranteed starter for Tottenham?
Maddison certainly endured a turbulent 2023/24 campaign at Spurs having seen his stunning start hindered by his ankle injury.
Since returning at the start of the year, the 27-year-old has really struggled to find his best form, but Postecoglou kept him in the starting XI for the large parts.
However, this season will have to see Postecoglou be more ruthless with the midfielder if he is going to show the same struggles in reaching his best form.
Although Lucas Bergvall has impressed, he is probably unlikely to uproot Maddison out of the side just yet given his lack of experience of English football.
But as the season develops, pressure may begin to rise on Maddison if he is unable to hit his usual standards.
What's Your Reaction?
