Ange Postecoglou is reportedly yet to be convinced by Tottenham midfield prospect, Lucas Bergvall, reveals Swedish international, Tobias Hellgren.
Since arriving at the North London club last summer, Bergvall has yet to start a game in the Premier League, and has primarily been restricted to cameo appearances off the bench. However, this is partly to be expected, as the Swede is, of course, a future prospect, although Hellgren insists that the manager is opting against giving the 18-year-old further opportunities, as he is not yet convinced of the youngster's current ability.
Postecoglou Not Convinced with Bergvall
The midfielder will need to earn more game time
Speaking to Fotboll Skanalen, Hellgren noted the true reason behind Postecoglou's decision to opt without Bergvall in many of his starting lineups. He said:
“There is something else to interpret in Ange’s words as well: he is simply not convinced of Bergvall’s current ability.
“Now he has returned to the fact that the Swede has ‘more to learn’ so many times that everyone has understood that he thinks so. Subtly, Ange probably wants to convey instead that Bergvall is not ready – yet – for the high-tempo, heavy metal-like football that is at the top of the Premier League.
“Bergvall received two clear clearances against Manchester United and was the first to smoke at the red card against Qarabag. Being easy to sacrifice is often a good indicator of how high you stand with your coach.”
Spurs paid a fee in the region of £8.5 million for the former Djugarden man, who is expected to play a more prominent role for the club, perhaps a few years down the line. That said, while Bergvall may not be able to feature more consistently for Postecoglou's side in the Premier League at the moment, he has nonetheless started four times in the Europa League, and once in the EFL Cup, implying that he is still receiving opportunities to impress elsewhere.
When asked about the possibility of Bergvall departing on loan for more consistent game time, Hellgren further added that there was still a role he could play at Tottenham, albeit not with the manager fully convinced:
"We are in November, and it is far too early to start talking about a loan. On the one hand, there is value in just being in Tottenham’s environment, on the other hand, there may be openings further on with injuries and suspensions."