Sky Sports pundit Tony Cascarino has claimed Tottenham used Ben Davies to expose “incredible” Crystal Palace youngster Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
The Palace right-back has made a huge impact since being fast-tracked into the first team last season and been hailed as a future international star.
Cascarino explained in his analysis of Spurs’ 1-0 win at Selhurst Park on Saturday how Mauricio Pochettino identified the youngster’s positioning weakness by regularly playing in “dangerous” Davies behind him.
“Aaron Wan-Bissaka at Crystal Palace is a big talent with incredible athleticism, but he needs to learn from what happened against Spurs on Saturday, Cascarino told the Times.
“Knowing he is strong in one-on-one challenges, Spurs instead repeatedly used Ben Davies to make overlapping runs behind him and send over a series of dangerous crosses.
“Wan-Bissaka needed more help from his midfield, who defend very narrowly under Roy Hodgson’s system, but he also has to develop his positional sense if he is to be the complete full back.”
OPINION
Barely a match goes by when Davies doesn’t get it in the neck from lots of Spurs fans on social media, including Saturday’s win at Palace. The Wales international is a proven Premier League performer with a track record that demands respect, but Tottenham supporters looking for someone to blame for the occasional failings of their side usually end up pointing the finger at Davies. Even former scapegoat Moussa Sissoko is starting to win the doubters over after a string of powerful displays. As for Davies, he is pilloried for not being a combination of Danny Rose and Jan Vertonghen; defensively brilliant and dynamic flying up the flank. Those questioning him rarely point out how his defensive acumen is on a completely different level to left-back rival Rose, or that his overlaps are well time and often, as Cascarino points out, ‘dangerous’. Crucially, Pochettino still believes in Davies, who has been first choice now for nearly two years.