Playing for 90
Fansided

Tottenham quandary: Is Mousa Dembele that good or is Ryan Mason that bad?

By Rucker Haringey

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 14: Mousa Dembele of Tottenham Hotspur clears with Sergio Aguero of Manchester City during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur at Etihad Stadium on February 14, 2016 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 14: Mousa Dembele of Tottenham Hotspur clears with Sergio Aguero of Manchester City during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur at Etihad Stadium on February 14, 2016 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Mauricio Pochettino must decide whether Mousa Dembele is that good or if Ryan Mason is that bad

Tottenham must make some swift determinations regarding the future of their defensive midfield this summer. The first order of business is trying to decide whether or not Mousa Dembele is that good or Ryan Mason is that bad.

After all, Spurs’ results have been massively different when Dembele is on the sideline and is replaced by Mason. There’s obviously huge drop-off in play when the Belgian is exchanged for the Englishman. It’s logical for the club to investigate to find out what can be done to address the problem.

The common line of thinking for most pundits is that Dembele has just been so good this season that Tottenham can’t cope with his absence. There’s absolutely some validity to this line of thinking. His Whoscored.com player rating average of 7.69 leads Tottenham on the year and is among the top scores in the Premier League. It’s clear that he’s been excellent for Pochettino this year.

More from Playing for 90

The under reported factor of Tottenham’s struggles without Dembele is the poor play of Mason. The Spurs Academy product was hugely influential for the squad last year, but has been an absolute disaster this year. His Whoscored.com player rating average of 6.38 in 22 Premier League appearances is one of the worst scores among Tottenham regulars. His poor play has been just as big a factor in Tottenham’s struggles without Dembele as the Belgian’s stellar play.

Mason just isn’t good enough to cut it at Tottenham any longer. His play was a lovely story last year and his spirit is certainly deserving of admiration. Sadly, his level of talent isn’t sufficient for a team that’s challenging for a Premier League title. It would be best for everyone involved if he found a home with a smaller Premier League club this summer.

Of course, getting rid of Mason is only going to be half of the potential Spurs solution. Pochettino and company must also be on the lookout to add a significant talent to their double pivot options this summer.

That’s likely to be a fairly expensive proposition for the club. The football world knows that Spurs can’t be so reliant on Dembele and teammate Eric Dier next year. They will have to add at least one more starting caliber option in the summer transfer window. The good news for Spurs fans is that the team should have sufficient capital to purchase a top option to supplement the squad. The prospect of playing for Pochettino should also be attractive to potential purchases as well.

Related Story: 5 players Tottenham must upgrade for Champions League football

Tottenham’s struggles without Mousa Dembele in the lineup are impossible to ignore, but it’s not all about Dembele’s excellence. The struggles of Ryan Mason have been just as important to Spurs’ struggles without their Belgian destroyer.

Home/Premier League