During the first forty-five minutes of Tottenham Hotspur’s 5-1 friendly win over Heart of Midlothian, James Maddison led the show.
The 27-year-old midfielder, making his first appearance since being left out of England’s Euro qualifier, effortlessly partnered with Dejan Kulusevski, Son Heung-min and Manor Solomon against the Edinburgh-based Scottish Premiership on Wednesday at night.
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Take a look at the assist he provided for Brennan Johnson’s goal (below), the visitors’ first Premier League goal of the 2024-25 season. Maddison pushes the ball with the outside of his boot towards Kulusevski, who returns it with an elegant backheel. Maddison then sent a cross straight into Johnson’s path.
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It’s only a pre-season game, and Tottenham’s first game with the right elements is still a month away, so it’s vital not to get too carried away, but it’s encouraging to see Maddison look full of power after what was so disappointing. 24 for him.
Superb ? #HEATOT // 0-1
– Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) July 17, 2024
However, full-time no one was talking about Maddison: he had been overshadowed by the exciting crop of players from Spurs’ academy.
Head coach Ange Postecoglou has named an experienced starting XI at Tynecastle, plus a makeshift defence. Pedro Porro played in his natural position at right back, but Oliver Skipp and new signing Archie Gray replaced in the middle of defence, while Jamie Donley had a chance on the left.
Donley was a key figure for Tottenham’s under-21 team last season, scoring five goals to help them win the Premier League 2 title. The 19-year-old was primarily playing in midfield at the time and, although Last night he officially started as a left back, he played in attacking positions.
Solomon was told to stay up and open, allowing Donley to make some underlying runs. Just before half-time, he found himself on the Spurs right wing after a corner and sent a cross to Solomon at the far post, but the Israeli winger missed. that opportunity.
Postecoglou completely replaced his team at half-time and the first attempt backfired when Lawrence Shankland equalised almost immediately after the restart. Tottenham’s oldest player on the pitch at this level, 28-year-old Timo Werner, followed him through substitute goalkeeper Alfie Whiteman. 25. Djed Spence, 23, is a veteran compared to Mikey Moore (16), Lucas Bergvall (18) and Alfie Devine, Will Lankshear and Ashley Phillips, who are all 19.
Pre-season is the best opportunity to assess which young players are in a position to make it to the first team for Smart and last night’s brief concern that this opportunity would not let them pass them by.
But on the inside of the minutes, Lankshear restored the lead with a clever right-footed shot off a clever pass from Spence. Lankshear only stayed on the field for 20 minutes before being replaced by Alejo Veliz, but he looked stunning. the dominance of penalties and also showed his willingness to make wide runs.
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Lankshear signed a new contract until 2029 last week and has been with the first team.
If the England Under-19 striker continues to improve, he may have a real chance of getting consistent playing time next season. Richarlison is the only number 9 player on the Postecoglou team. Troy Parrott has moved permanently to AZ Alkmaar. from the Netherlands, while Dane Scarlett wants to regain his trust after a disappointing loan spell in the 2023-24 Championship with Ipswich Town. By contrast, Lankshear scored 32 goals in all competitions last season and was named Premier League 2 Player of the Year.
– Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) July 17, 2024
“He had a very smart year last year, so it’s all about rewarding him,” Postecoglou said. “With all young people, the principle is, ‘The game doesn’t stop. ‘Whatever you did last year, it’s all about “Our two new recruits (Gray and Bergvall) are 18 years old, so there’s a measure for our 18 years. Just because you’re here doesn’t mean you get any advantage, other than the fact that you’re in front of us (the coaches) every day. Today he earned his chance, he trained well, he scored his goal well and I’m satisfied for him.
Not surprisingly, Moore also discovered the bottom of the net. He made a clever run, calmly controlled the ball inside the box and fired it past Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon, who played 75 caps. Moore became the youngest player to be part of Spurs in the Premier League when he came off the bench in the 2-0 defeat to Manchester City in May at the age of 16 years, nine months and three days. He then scored four goals for England in the organisational category of the Under-17 European Championship later that month. Patience with young players is required, but Moore continues to rise to each and every challenge that comes his way.
Veliz and Scarlett had less time to kick in last night than Lankshear. Veliz missed a great chance to score when he fired the ball over the crossbar from a Spence cross and hurt his nose in the process. The medical staff spent five minutes looking to fix the problem, however, they were replaced and replaced through Scarlett, who seemed threatening with her speed at the counter.
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Tottenham spent around £40m (£52m) to remove Gray from Leeds United, last season’s Championship play-off runners-up, and sign Bergvall from Swedish side Djurgarden. Postecoglou praised the “good energy” the two men brought to the team. .
Gray, a central midfielder or right back, looked exceptional despite playing out of position, while Bergvall strutted around the pitch, showing his flair and willingness to work hard out of possession. The midfielder set up Moore’s goal and sent a brilliant cross into the area in preparation for Phillips’ late arrival.
The long term looks promising for Tottenham, and Postecoglou will be tempted to praise the young players with more opportunities when the season officially begins.
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(Pictured above: Lankshear, left, and Moore scored at Tynecastle; Andrew Milligan/PA Images Getty Images)