Tottenham Hotspur failed to beat National League side Tamworth in normal time on Sunday afternoon, in what could have been one of the all-time greatest shocks in FA Cup history had The Lambs beaten Ange Postecoglou's men - but despite a 3-0 win after extra time in the West Midlands, there is one star that the Aussie will regret signing after a poor performance.
Postecoglou went with a strong team, with first-team options Pedro Porro, James Maddison, Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr and Brennan Johnson all starting against the fifth-tier outfit, and minutes were given to fringe stars in the form of Sergio Reguilon, Mikey Moore and Radu Dragusin with a defensive crisis making it Spurs' strongest defence.
Timo Werner Massively Failed Against Tamworth
The German didn't take his chance in the FA Cup third round
However, Timo Werner started up front, and having endured a poor season for the Lilywhites, the chance to get back into form against a non-league side was a huge chance for the German.
It's safe to say that the £165,000-per-week former Chelsea man didn't take that chance. Being anonymous in the first half, Werner didn't create much and not only was his passing astray and his touches off the boil, but he was being firmly outplayed by the Tamworth defence.
That continued into the second half. The pacy attacker was limited to pot shots and didn't quite get into the groove of the game, but he had a golden chance to open the scoring as he went one-on-one with goalkeeper Jasbir Singh; however, the stopper thwarted Werner and the game remained 0-0, in which Tottenham could easily have got their noses in front. It remained that way until the final whistle, and with Tottenham in real danger of the game going to penalties, Postecoglou unleashed Son Heung-min at Werner's expense.
Sofascore gave the German just a 6.2 rating, with four shots and two big chances failing to result in a goal, whilst just one successful dribble from six attempts meant that Werner didn't really trouble the Tamworth defence. No accurate crosses and just one duel won from another 6, alongside losing possession 14 times, meant that it was an awful day at the office for the RB Leipzig loanee and Ange may have to turn to other options.
Tottenham Should Go All Out For Randal Kolo Muani
The striker remains on their radar despite a slow season of his own
Randal Kolo Muani has been linked throughout the January transfer window, and his signing could move Tottenham back into European contention with there being no like-for-like replacement for Dominic Solanke. Kolo Muani has struggled for Paris Saint-Germain this season, and minutes are needed elsewhere, though Tottenham aren't the only ones in for his signature, with Manchester United also having been linked, with a price tag of £55million.
It's clear that despite Tottenham not being shy of goals in the Premier League, having Werner in their ranks has become somewhat of a burden in the long-run and when he didn't perform against non-league opposition in a rare start, that is a telling sign that a replacement needs signing in the short window this winter.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Timo Werner has scored just one goal in 26 outings this season.
Whether Postecoglou opts for a new man remains to be seen, but Kolo Muani would at least offer a breath of fresh air into their attacking ranks if Tottenham are to secure European football. The club currently sit a minimum of nine points from securing continental fixtures next season in the table, unless they win either domestic cup competition.
Statistics courtesy of WhoScored. Correct as of 12-01-25.