Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou could be set to axe a big-name player from his starting XI, according to an ex-recruitment expert who still has real connections within the beautiful game.
Tottenham 4-1 West Ham as Postecoglou returns to winning ways
Following their dismal 3-2 defeat away to Brighton, which Postecoglou admitted was the "worst" loss of his tenure, Spurs put London rivals West Ham to the sword with a memorable 4-1 domination of their neighbours at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Mohammed Kudus briefly opened the scoring for West Ham, giving Postecoglou and supporters inside the stadium a real scare, but it didn't take long for star forward Dejan Kulusevski to equalise and maintain his exceptional start to the new Premier League season.
Level at half-time, Spurs surged after the restart, taking a 4-1 lead inside the space of ten minutes. Yves Bissouma, an own goal from Alphonse Areola and Son Heung-min's strike handed the home side a three-goal cushion just before the hour mark - with Julen Lopetegui distraught over the Hammers' capitulation.
Kudus was sent off a few minutes from full-time, cementing West Ham's misery over a second period to forget. Postecoglou's delight at his team's response after the Brighton game was evident in his press conference, where he praised supporters for helping to lift the team.
"It’s important for our fans for sure because these are the games they want to feel good about and win obviously," said Postecoglou's on Tottenham's 4-1 win over West Ham.
"Personally for me any game we win I get equal joy out of it as I've always said. Part of the kind of momentum we built in the second half came through the edge the supporters gave us, especially after the second goal you could really feel the atmosphere inside the stadium lift and that pushed us along and we had a 15-20min spell where we were outstanding.
"It goes hand in hand. We need the supporters especially at home to provide but to be able to provide we need to give them something in return. Today is hopefully a little bit of a reward for our fans."
Kulusevski earned the plaudits against West Ham after another superb all-round display, but the same cannot be said for James Maddison, who was hooked at half-time in favour of Pape Matar Sarr.
James Maddison facing Tottenham axe
The £170,000-per-week Maddison actually got the assist for Kulusevski's equaliser, though Postecoglou's side arguably looked more threatening after the England international was subbed off, which showed in the scoreline.
Speaking to Football Insider, former recruitment expert Mick Brown, who remains well-connected in the Premier League, says that he's "heard" Maddison could be axed from Tottenham's starting elevens on a regular basis.
“I appreciate what James Maddison can do,” said Brown.
“But it’s almost as if the game has to be run for his benefit, whereas the elite players in his position put their stamp on the game and dictate the way it’s played. If it’s a 50/50 battle of a game, he can go missing. From what I’ve heard, the manager could look to drop him from the starting XI from time to time. He won’t be afraid of making big calls and that is one that he may have to make.
“Postecoglou will be looking at who they’re playing against, and will change his system to suit the game. Maddison might be able to take advantage of teams that are weaker in midfield, for example, but in games like the one at the weekend they can leave him out.
“We saw against West Ham the difference that dropping him out of the side can make, and I’d expect to see that on a more regular basis now.”