Tottenham need to hand Juan Foyth a chance to start at right back

Tottenham continue to search for the right player to start at right back. It’s time for Spurs to give Juan Foyth a chance to claim the position.

There weren’t a lot of bright spots in Tottenham’s 1-0 loss to Ajax on Tuesday, but the play of Juan Foyth did stand out positively for Mauricio Pochettino’s side. It’s time for the Argentine gaffer to give his countryman a chance to make the right back position his own.

Right back isn’t Foyth’s best position over the long haul, but it’s very possible he can man the position better than anyone else Pochettino has available at the moment. The stakes are certainly high for Spurs coming down the stretch. The club desperately need to win at least one of their two remaining Premier League fixtures to make sure they achieve Champions League qualification next season.

There’s also the small matter of needing to overturn the one goal deficit at Ajax next week. The return of Heung-Min Son to the lineup will absolutely help Tottenham in that endeavor, but they also need better play along the back line. Kieran Trippier is simply too much of a defensive liability to leave on the pitch against Ajax’s silky attack.

Some fans might want to see Kyle Walker-Peters get the nod, but it’s obvious Pochettino prefers Foyth. There’s no other explanation for bringing him on as a substitute on Tuesday night. Foyth may not have the quick-twitch athleticism that Pochettino likes to see from his fullbacks, but he does have something that makes him unique.

His courage and poise with the football at his feet really distinguish himself from the other right backs at Tottenham. Foyth isn’t necessarily pacy, but he has an uncanny ability to glide past defenders with the ball stuck to his feet. Some Spurs fans have suggested that quality would make him an ideal midfielder, but it can also be a tremendous asset at right back.

Foyth’s height and physicality also make him a better defender than Trippier. He’ll need to make sure he gets his positioning right against quicker opponents, but he has the instincts to recover when he’s caught out of position. The moment Trippier loses track of an opposing attacker he loses the chance to get back into the play. The same isn’t true for Foyth.

At the very least, Pochettino must give Foyth the start at right back this weekend at Bournemouth. He can judge whether or not he should also get the nod at Ajax based on that performance. It might not work out in the end, but it’s a worthwhile gamble for Tottenham. Foyth is the best hope at the problematic position for Spurs.