Friction Between Ange Postecoglou and Radu Dragusin at Tottenham: A Deep Dive into Spurs’ Defensive Dilemma

Tottenham Hotspur: Understanding the ‘Friction’ Between Ange Postecoglou and Radu Dragusin

Ange Postecoglou, known for his no-nonsense approach, has mostly gotten his way at Tottenham Hotspur. One significant move was securing the signing of Radu Dragusin from Genoa during the January transfer window—a player who had been heavily linked with German giants Bayern Munich. However, Tottenham managed to win the race for his signature.

With Dragusin joining the London club, Eric Dier departed for Bayern Munich, leaving supporters pleased with the club’s transfer business. Spurs paid the Italian side £25 million (BBC Sport) for Dragusin’s services. From the outset, the 22-year-old knew he would be playing second fiddle to the rapid Micky van de Ven and World Cup winner Cristian Romero.

Dragusin’s Limited Game Time

Dragusin logged a total of 424 Premier League minutes last season, making four starts while spending much of his time as an unused substitute. Despite his limited appearances, he earned praise for his performance for Romania at Euro 2024, where he stood out as the only solid player pushing Tottenham’s starting center-backs.

Jamie Carragher recently commented on Spurs’ defensive lineup, stating that if you consider Tottenham’s back four as “individuals,” they are “as good as anyone” in the Premier League.

Postecoglou’s ‘Better Squad’ Ambition

The Liverpool legend discussed how Postecoglou desires a “better squad,” and mentioned that there is some “friction” between Dragusin and his manager over his lack of playing time, as he shared on Sky Sports Premier League.

“When I think about Tottenham’s back four as individuals, I think they are almost as good as anyone in the Premier League,” said Carragher.

“Is there any left-back better than Udogie? Porro last season was outstanding. The two center-backs you put up against most center-backs in the Premier League, but their defensive record is so poor, and he (Postecoglou) points out the fact that they are not playing together as much.

Yes, when one of them isn’t there—van de Ven, especially—the high line and pace are affected. You (Gary Neville) have mentioned Udogie. Van de Ven is one of the quickest players in the Premier League, never mind center-backs. He (Postecoglou) is talking about needing a better squad. The guy they brought in January very rarely plays (Dragusin). There was a bit of friction there because he didn’t get as many minutes as he would have liked—it’s not just about personnel. Is it the setup as well, with the fullbacks moving into midfield? Does that cause them a problem as well?”

Concerns About Defensive Depth

While adding Solanke to the forward line will boost their attacking power in the long run, concerns remain about the defensive depth. Gary Neville named Destiny Udogie in his Team of the Season for 2023/24, but there’s a significant drop-off in quality if Udogie gets injured.

Dragusin could step in at center-back, with van de Ven moving to fullback, but once again, more cover is needed to solidify the defense.