Tottenham need to axe Tom Carroll
Fair warning Tottenham fans, if you’re looking for a happy clapper type article from me, you might want to stop reading now. I’ve just finished watching the reply of Spurs 1-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid and I’m officially done with Tom Carroll.
I’m sure the young English midfielder is a nice enough bloke. Perhaps he reads to the blind on the weekends or regularly volunteers in soup kitchens. I’m even quite sure that his parents love him.
None of those things qualify him to be a contributing player at Tottenham. At this point in his career, it’s crystal clear that the club have passed him by. I just can’t see any benefit to having him on the pitch at this point.
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Proponents of Carroll claim that he has some sort of immense skill on the ball that earns him a place in the Spurs’ midfield. Evidently he flashed this sort of ability during his time with the youth team, but we sure haven’t seen very much of it with the senior squad.
He likely could display more of that alleged skill on the ball if he was athletic enough to create the space necessary to really pick a pass. Given his frail body type, he would need to have DeAndre Yedlin type speed to be effective. Unfortunately for Carroll, I’m not sure he can outrun any of the club’s other midfielders.
You might wonder why I have such venom in regards to the diminutive midfielder. After all, he seems to enjoy playing for the club and he gives good effort every time out. The reason, is that every minute he plays, it costs a more talented midfield prospect the chance to develop into a star.
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Let’s not forget that Carroll isn’t a 20-year-old starlet anymore. He’s 24 now, and he was one of the club’s worst statistical performers last season. His Whoscored.com player rating of 6.32 in 19 Premier League appearances illustrates his complete lack of effectiveness. His age tells us that he’s also unlikely to significantly improve moving forward.
That’s why he shouldn’t be allowed to block Tottenham’s real midfield prospects any longer. Josh Onomah, Harry Winks and Marcus Edwards all have shown real ability and need as much game time as possible next season. Every second Carroll spends on the pitch prevents them from growing their games.
Can any Tottenham fan honestly say they’re more excited to see Carroll on the pitch than any of those other options? Perhaps Tim Sherwood can say that with a straight face, but we all know what his opinion is worth.
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Tom Carroll can probably help some Premier League club, but it’s very clear that club isn’t Tottenham. It’s time for Spurs to get him out of the way of the club’s real midfield prospects. His presence at Spurs has become a real detriment to Tottenham.