da bwin： Jose Mourinho is wildly renowned as one of the most defensive coaches in English football.
da betway： A manager who turned Manchester United into a side that would often park the bus against the top teams, he’s failed to reinvigorate Tottenham’s backline.
Arriving at the club last November, that was one of the key aims for the Portuguese if he was to improve this Spurs team. However, in their first four matches under the Special One, they shipped eight goals.
In total under Mourinho, the north London outfit have conceded 33 times in just 22 matches. Jan Vertonghen left the pitch crying after a match earlier this season but he has at least tied Toby Alderweireld down to a new deal.
With Vertonghen set to leave the Tottenham Hotspur stadium when his contract comes to an end this summer, they will need reinforcements. Presumably, that’s why they’ve been linked with Chris Smalling.
According to Tuttosport, Spurs are targeting a move for the Manchester United man who is enjoying a career rejuvenation at Roma in Serie A.
Rated at £18m per Transfermarkt, the experienced Englishman would arrive in London with two stand out qualities.
In Italy this term, the 6 foot 4 colossus has been dribbled past just 0.1 times per game. If you compare that to Virgil van Dijk, a man who came second in the race for the Ballon d’Or, the great Dutchman has been dribbled past 0.2 times per game.
A big deal has been made out of the Liverpool defender’s ability to not be beaten by his man so this just goes to show how well Smalling has done in Italy. However, he’s also better than every Spurs man in a pivotal area.
The 30-year-old has been a true force in the air this season, winning 3.7 aerial duels per game in Serie A. Comparing that to the current Spurs team, no player has won more than 2.8 per match – a record held jointly by Eric Dier, Ben Davies and Harry Kane.
That shows just how big an influence Tottenham lack in that third of the game, an attribute that could prove key if Mourinho wants to finally fix Spurs’ leaky defence.
Smalling may have earned criticism in the English game, taking on board a damning assessment from Roy Keane in the past, but his newfound confidence in the Italian capital could be game-changing for a Spurs side who have witnessed somewhat of a decline this season.
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In one match this campaign, the centre-back won as many as nine aerial duels as Roma drew 1-1 with Cagliari. He then won seven in defeat against Lecce.
The defender may not be one of the most eye-catching signings, but Spurs must seal the deal for Smalling this summer.
In other news, Harry Kane has BACKED Spurs into a corner…