Benny?

Is this man now the weak-link in Tottenham’s defence?





Posted on Friday, 2nd March 2012 by Harry Cloke



Whilst
some fans may label me fickle, I want to make it clear that this is not
a knee-jerk response to what happened last Sunday at the Emirates. The
less said on that matter, the better, but it’s not the first time I’ve
noticed a certain defender disappoint on the big stage. The man I refer
to is Benoit Assou-Ekotto, whose lapses in concentration and insistence on risky play has put Tottenham under undue pressure this season.

BAE is usually at his best when Spurs are in full-flow. He’s great
bolting down the flanks and lending support to Tottenham’s attack. So
long as Spurs spend most of the game in the opponent’s half, BAE looks like a star. It’s when an opponent puts Tottenham under the cosh that Assou-Ekotto looks woefully exposed.

If Tottenham aren’t playing well, you can bet your life that BAE isn’t playing well and I wonder how long it is until teams
start targeting him. Part of the problem is that BAE doesn’t seem
particularly well organised. He often gets caught out of position, goes
for unnecessary strolls and confounds the rest of Tottenham’s backline.


There have been numerous occasions this season when BAE was
responsible for Tottenham conceding goals. Consider his shoddy
performance against Man City. It was well known that City were strong
down the wings and that Tottenham’s full-backs would need to perform if
they were to get anything from the game. Unfortunately BAE didn’t really
turn up and City found plenty of purchase down his side of the pitch.

What about his clearance in the game against Wigan which ended up
dropping to Mohamed Diame who hit it home? Or his failure to close down
the Tom Cleverley cross that Danny Welbeck ended up scoring from in the
game against Manchester United?

Then, of course is the game against Arsenal last weekend where he was torn apart by the Gunner’s front line.

The disappointing truth is that BAE doesn’t seem capable of
fulfilling his defensive duties. However you look at it, it seems clear
that Tottenham can do much better in this department. With summer fast
approaching, perhaps it’s time for Harry Redknapp to start looking for reinforcements in this area.

Whether or not Tottenham can get their hands on the genuine article, the increased competition
may spark BAE back into life. After all, if Spurs are to compete for
the Premier League title next season they will need a solid back four.

ye i got to agree with you. he has more good games then bad games and since bale been playing a free role ekoto had not had much protection

weak link? hes one of the best left backs in the premier lge now imo, automatic choice says it all and only him and dad friedel have played every lge game this season i think, says it all to me.every player can have a bad day sometime so to me that article is the definition of fickle.