Eric Dier deserves more credit for Tottenham’s hot start
Eric Dier isn’t the most stylish player at Mauricio Pochettino’s disposal, but his steady play in the midfield has been crucial for Tottenham this season.
Tottenham have won their first two matches of the season, but are managing to fly under the radar with the media. Eric Dier can relate. He’s one Spurs player who isn’t getting anywhere near the plaudits he deserves for the club’s quality start to the campaign.
Part of his ability to avoid notice is the relatively ugly nature of the way he plays. That’s not to mean to be an insult. It’s just a statement of fact. In a squad with stylish attackers like Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli, it’s oftentimes Dier who is left behind to cover up for them on the defensive end of the pitch.
Such is the life of a physical midfielder in the Premier League. While Dier occasionally fancies himself as an attacking player, he’s at his best when he is focused on shielding his back four. That’s just what he’s done during Spurs’ victories over Newcastle and Fulham. Keeping it simple has allowed him to play some really good football.
In a strange way, the absence of Victor Wanyama due to injury has helped clear Dier’s head. The vast majority of his minutes this season have come with him as the obvious defensive midfielder in Pochettino’s lineup. Mousa Dembele’s inability to play a full 90 minutes has also helped. No matter who Tottenham have deployed in the midfield, Dier has been the person charged with staying back and providing the formation balance.
Monday will represent a major step up in competition. Manchester United aren’t going to field the most attacking side in the world given their struggles at Brighton, but their counterattack will pose Spurs with serious problems. Dier will face a big challenge keeping the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial from earning free runs against Tottenham’s back line.
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Fortunately for Spurs, that’s precisely what Dier has been doing well all season long. He’s resisted the temptation to bomb forward and overload the club’s attack. It’s hard to tell whether that’s a product of more maturity on the pitch, or just the personnel he’s been playing with. Either way, it’s been a positive development for he and his club. Dier is showing real signs of being the player he was two seasons ago. That could have a massive impact on the club’s quest for silverware this year.