Tottenham player ratings at Southampton: Miserable marks for Spurs
Dele Alli-6
No Tottenham player missed Christian Eriksen more than Dele. Without his Danish teammate, he was forced to carry the load as Spurs’ only number ten and he failed to get the job done.
Dele simply can’t continue to give the ball away so frivolously. I realize he can pull off amazing tricks with the ball at his feet, but he needs to make the easy play more often. It’s not a lack of effort by the precocious Englishman, but Pochettino needs to help him make the game easier.
On the flipside, you can’t fault Dele’s work rate in this match. He tracked back for several crucial challenges against the Saints. You have to remember Dele is still a relatively inexperienced player. Pochettino will help him get back on track.
Moussa Sissoko-5.5
It might be in everyone’s best interest if Sissoko is sold sooner rather than later. Clearly Pochettino sees something in his training, but the Frenchman can’t replicate his practice performances in actual matches.
He wasn’t horrible in this match, but he just doesn’t make enough happen to justify his place in the squad. Sissoko is too much of a passenger to play for such a good Tottenham side. He plays hard, but he lacks the talent and aptitude for the game to thrive at Spurs.
Heung-Min Son-5
Everyone likes to celebrate Son when he scores goals, but the truth is he doesn’t provide Spurs much else. He didn’t contribute much at all in this match. He troubled Southampton occasionally on the counter, but failed to produce any sort of tangible result.
That’s precisely why Pochettino made him the first player off the pitch. Some questioned the decision since Spurs desperately needed a goal, but I applaud Pochettino for requiring his attacking players to be true two-way contributors.
Erik Lamela-5.5
Many people argued that Lamela should have started this match instead of Sissoko. His brief appearance on the pitch seemed to back those statements up. Lamela repeatedly found himself on the ball in dangerous areas. He easily could have been the hero in this one, but it just didn’t come off for him.