Steve Nicol has warned Tottenham Hotspur that their newest signing, James Maddison, has a tendency to go missing during games when his side are not in control.
Ever since Christian Eriksen left the club in 2020, Tottenham have lacked that spark of creativity in the middle of the park that Maddison can so often provide.
ENFIELD, ENGLAND – JUNE 28: James Maddison poses as he signs for Tottenham Hotspur at Tottenham Hotspur Training Centre on June 28, 2023 in Enfield, England. (Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)
After a dismal campaign last year that saw Spurs finish in eighth place in the Premier League, something had to change.
New manager Ange Postecoglou has wasted no time in finding solutions to the problem areas in the squad he has inherited.
It is hoped Maddison can be one such solution, with the playmaker leaving recently relegated Leicester City for Spurs earlier this week.
The 26-year-old arrives in North London for a few believed to be around £40m (Guardian).
Maddison might go missing in a Tottenham shirt
While many Spurs fans are incredibly excited to see Maddison in action for the club, pundit Steve Nicol has his doubts about the England international’s ability to perform under difficult circumstances.
He told ESPN: “Since the game began there have been players like James Maddison, who have ability, but when things are not going for the side they’re in, you don’t see them.
“To me, he fits right into that category. When things are going well for him and his team, the guy’s fantastic, what a talent, the whole nine yards.
“But then when things start going the other way, you never see him, he disappears, he doesn’t do anything for the team.
“And that kind of fits in with Spurs, they’ve got loads of them.
“When things are going well, they’ve got plenty of decent players, but when things are going badly, they all disappear.
“They all shrivel up and hide in their shell.”
Spurs Web Opinion
The way James Maddison performed in that awful Leicester side last season tells me that he will be absolutely fine at Spurs. I have every faith that Maddison will deliver when we need him.
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