‘He has to be carried a lot’ – Pundit makes interesting James Maddison claim
Former Leeds United midfielder John Giles believes that James Maddison needs his teammates to do the bulk of his defensive work so that he can take up dangerous positions in the final third. While there was never any doubt about Maddison’s technical quality during his time at Leicester, not a lot of people would have […]
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Former Leeds United midfielder John Giles believes that James Maddison needs his teammates to do the bulk of his defensive work so that he can take up dangerous positions in the final third.
While there was never any doubt about Maddison’s technical quality during his time at Leicester, not a lot of people would have used the ‘world-class’ tag to describe him before this season.
However, the 26-year-old has demonstrated since his switch to Tottenham that he is very much deserving of that accolade, having taken his game to a new level now that he is surrounded by better players.
The England international has eight contributions in the 10 Premier League matches so far this season, having become Spurs’ main creative fulcrum.
LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 23: James Maddison of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal with teammate Son Heung-Min during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 23, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)
Maddison is better used in dangerous pockets
Giles believes that Maddison is the sort of player who needs workhorses alongside to do the bulk of the defensive work, insisting that Ange Postecoglou’s system is a perfect fit for the attacking midfielder.
The pundit said on The Stand with Eamon Dunphy podcast: “He’s not a midfield player, he’s one of those lads who floats between the midfield and the attackers.
“At Leicester, he wasn’t in a good team. He has to be in a good team to do what he’s good at, he has to be carried a lot to score spectacular goals and score a few goals.
“This manager is getting the best out of him because he’s playing him in the right position. He’s unique in the way he can do it, and he definitely has the ability to score goals. He’s playing much better than I ever expected him to play.”
Spurs Web Opinion
There is certainly a case to be made that Maddison is in the mould of a traditional number ten rather than a modern-day number eight. Having said that, he has shown at Tottenham that he is more than capable of dropping deep to receive the ball and help the team progress up the pitch.
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