3 Spurs players who must improve in 2021 including £65k-a-week ‘mistake waiting to happen’

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Tottenham Hotspur have enjoyed a superb first half of the season, flying high in the Premier League table, in the last 32 of the Europa League, and in the semi-finals of the League Cup.

While most of Spurs’ players have been great this term, there are a couple who could have done better, and will hope to improve in 2021.

Let’s take a look at a couple of those.

Gareth Bale

The 31-year-old rejoined Tottenham on a season-long loan deal from Real Madrid in mid-September, a move which saw the media spotlight shine brightly on North London.

Bale wasn’t thrown straight into action as he was recovering from a knee injury on Wales duty prior to his switch to Tottenham, as well as being short of match fitness.

To date, he has made 11 appearances for Spurs this term, registering a fairly decent tally of three goals, but his performances still seem a long way away from his best.

In the Europa League, for example, he has made just 0.3 key passes per game, and against Leicester in the Premier League, his game was anything but incisive, often passing back inside.

Davinson Sanchez

The 24-year-old has made 11 appearances for Jose Mourinho’s Spurs this season, but hasn’t featured in the Premier League since mid-October.

In his last league appearance, the £65,000-a-week defender scored an own goal against West Ham as Tottenham relinquished a three-goal lead to draw 3-3.

Indeed, Sanchez has only made one league matchday squad since that game, making the bench for the Chelsea game but not being involved for any of the others.

In October, former Spurs boss Tim Sherwood told Optus Sport the Colombia international was a “mistake waiting to happen”.

Although Sanchez was given 90 minutes against Stoke, during which he put in a fairly reasonable performance, it looks as though he’s still got work to do to win Mourinho over.

Lucas Moura

The 28-year-old has flattered to deceive this season, with just five goals and two assists from 23 appearances in all competitions, and just one Premier League goal.

All too often, Lucas has struggled to make an impact, offering little in terms of incisive play and creativity, and losing the ball too often – something which cost Spurs dear against Leicester.

Admittedly, Mourinho has often deployed him off the bench, but even when in the starting XI, such as against Stoke in the League Cup, he doesn’t exactly offer much.

Indeed, against the Potters – who, let’s not forget, are a Championship team – he had the fewest touches of the ball of any Spurs outfield starter.