5 Tottenham lessons from England vs. Germany
Tottenham stars Eric Dier, Dele Alli, Harry Kane and Danny Rose had great displays in England’s win over Germany
No Premier League fan base enjoyed England’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Germany yesterday more than Spurs fans. The North London club had four players in Roy Hodgson’s starting 11 and each played a crucial role in England’s excellent showing.
Read on to discover the top 5 lessons Tottenham can take away from the impressive victory. Some of them might just surprise you.
5. Danny Rose is a truly dynamic left-back
Sometimes Rose’s athleticism can get lost a bit for Tottenham given the high pressing style that manager Mauricio Pochettino demands from all his players. His performance against Germany served a definite reminder that he is a world-class athlete.
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He used his speed to provide the Three Lions a presence on both ends of the pitch. In fact, his pace and effort level did a lot to cover for Danny Welbeck’s very average performance playing ahead of him.
Rose won’t be the first name on any Tottenham fan’s lips after the England win, but we can’t forget about how well he played in his first cap.
4. Eric Dier is no longer a centre-back
With all due respect to players who ply their trade in the back four, Dier’s England performance showed he has too much talent to be stuck back there. He’s made the complete transformation to become one of football’s best young midfielders.
The deciding goal was an excellent highlight for Dier, but he’d played an excellent match even before powering his header into the back of the German net. Much to the delight of Tottenham fans, he completely neutralized Mesut Ozil in the middle of the German midfield.
He didn’t have a perfect match, but he showed that he should be a lock for a starting position at Euro 2016. If Roy Hodgson leaves him on the bench, he deserves to lose his job.
3. Harry Kane is already England’s best striker
Harry Kane is just being modest when he claims he’s only trying to become one of England’s top strikers. His breathtaking goal to get England back in the match illustrates the fact that he’s already the country’s best hit man.
He may not be the paciest, or the fanciest centre-forward, but he is the most complete striker in the England set-up. There’s no question that he has to start for his country during Euro 2016 no matter how fit Wayne Rooney is or isn’t. The torch has officially been passed.
2. Dele Alli is a superstar
To Tottenham fans that have been paying attention, this won’t be news. To some Premier League fans who don’t watch Spurs on a regular basis, they were given a taste of Alli’s ability during the match against Germany.
Alli was all over the pitch and was truly the talisman of Hodgson’s squad. He showcased his trademark high energy and dynamic play with the ball at his feet. He put pressure on the German midfield every time he touched the ball.
Tottenham fans are going to have to get used to hearing about Alli being linked with every rich club around the world. He’s got that much talent and his precocious manner of play is going to attract interest from everywhere. He’s not just a star, he’s a superstar.
1. Tottenham is the new club for English talent
The fact that Spurs had five players on Hodgson’s England squad for the match is more than just a nice bonus for Spurs. It could be integral for the club’s recruitment policy over the next several seasons.
Oftentimes, the recruitment of high level talent comes down to very slight differences. Potential Tottenham players have to choose between Spurs and other clubs based on very slight differences. The opportunity to play alongside, and bond with senior England players could be a tremendous recruiting advantage for Pochettino and company.
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If you were a young English star who wants to play for your country, there’s no better place to make those dreams to come true than Tottenham. Spurs will have a recruiting advantage when it comes to every blue-chip English player who moves to the Premier League. That could allow the club to keep their pipeline of high-level English talent flowing for years to come.