On the latest episode of the View from The Lane podcast for The Athletic, Jack Pitt-Brooke, Charlie Eccleshare and James Maw have been discussing the latest goings-on at Tottenham Hotspur, as well as looking back on the 2-0 win against West Ham.
One topic of conversation on the recent episode, which was titled ‘Mourinho v Merson & West Ham reaction‘, was the performance of Eric Dier in the win against West Ham, as well as his impending ban from the FA. The 26-year-old was charged by the FA after he entered the stands to confront a fan following Spurs’ FA Cup defeat against Norwich City in March but is yet to find out the extent of his punishment (per BBC).
The England international was one of Spurs’ standout players in the 2-0 win against the Hammers, earning an impressive 7.57 rating for his display, so it was perhaps no surprise to hear The Athletic journalists singing his praises on the podcast.
Here’s what Eccleshare had to say about the former Sporting Lisbon man, when asked by Pitt-Brooke about his new defensive partnership with Davinson Sanchez and whether his possible ban has played a factor:
“I think it is a genuine partnership and there was probably an element of it because Dier is going to get banned, so you’re maximising when you can, but I like that partnership. I like the balance. It was the partnership that Pochettino played in his last few games, and envisaged as being a longer-term solution. So far, they’ve worked really well. Dier looks really good. I think he looks really sharp. The word is he’s been training extremely well – he looks leaner and quicker. I think he’s been one of the big, big pluses from the first couple of games for Spurs.”
TIF Thoughts…
It can certainly be argued that Dier has been a big plus for Spurs in the first two games back, as his impressive performance alongside Sanchez helped the north London club to just their fifth clean sheet of the season in Tuesday’s win. Therefore, it could be a big blow for Jose Mourinho if he were to lose the 26-year-old due to suspension in any of Spurs’ remaining top-flight fixtures, with the Lilywhites still in with a chance of securing a top-four spot (per BBC).
Is it ridiculous that the FA have taken this long to decide on Dier's potential ban?
Yes
No
It will be interesting to see if the FA do decide to ban the centre-back anytime soon, as the Portuguese manager would surely appreciate some forewarning to allow him more time to plan his starting eleven, but it seems as if, until then, Dier could keep his place alongside Sanchez in Spurs’ defence.