Tottenham news: Serge Aurier may actually take Kieran Trippier’s position
Many Tottenham fans are laughing at Serge Aurier’s belief that he can take over Kieran Trippier’s starting position. The talented right back isn’t wrong.
Kieran Trippier may have been the best player in this summer’s World Cup, but that doesn’t mean he is guaranteed a starting spot at Spurs this season. If we know anything about Mauricio Pochettino, it’s that a player’s performance on the training ground is what will determine who stars on a weekly basis.
That’s why Serge Aurier’s comments that he hopes to take over Aurier’s starting spot aren’t silly at all. That’s exactly the attitude the Ivory Coast defender should take. Pochettino doesn’t want players who aren’t highly competitive anywhere near his squad.
Of course, the odds still favour starting the season at the club’s top choice at right back, but it’s far from a given. If he struggles to bounce back from his taxing duty for England then Aurier certainly has the talent to take his job. After all, the former PSG defender is quicker and more athletic than his English counterpart.
Serge Aurier says now is the time to take his chance to become first choice right-back at #thfc with Kieran Trippier on holiday. pic.twitter.com/WhAWEGJZTq
— Hotspur Related (@HotspurRelated) July 25, 2018
The big thing Aurier needs to do in year two is to learn exactly the way Pochettino wants him to play. Specifically, he needs to find a way to cut out the ridiculous mental errors that plague his play. The same could have been said about Kyle Walker or Danny Rose before Pochettino got a full summer to work with them. Discounting the possibility that Aurier might enjoy a similar improvement is short-sighted at best.
Spurs fans shouldn’t count out Kyle Walker-Peters’ ability to force his way into this conversation either. He only played two Premier League matches last season but he was more than adequate in each appearance. There’s no telling how far his game has come with a full offseason to adjust to Pochettino’s demands. It’s a big summer for the English starlet.
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Trippier is still the favourite to be Pochettino’s first choice right back this season, but don’t put his name into the lineup in permanent ink. Both Aurier and Walker-Peters will have their chances to unseat the English international. Trippier can’t afford to rest on his laurels for a second if he wants to keep his place at Tottenham.