Opinion: Tottenham Hotspur player ratings for the 2023/24 season
Another season is over, and it has been one of relative success for Tottenham Hotspur as they secured a top-five finish and Europa League football....
The post Opinion: Tottenham Hotspur player ratings for the 2023/24 season appeared first on The Spurs Web - Tottenham Hotspur Football News.
Another season is over, and it has been one of relative success for Tottenham Hotspur as they secured a top-five finish and Europa League football. Here’s a look at the players involved this season, and a rating for how they performed.
Ange Postecoglou‘s first year in charge of Tottenham has seen the club employ a new and improved playing style that has left fans entertained.
The team also scored more goals, conceded fewer goals, and achieved more points than last season. Spurs finished fifth place, three spots higher than last season, too, and now have European football to look forward to again next year.
As we reflect on the ups and downs of the campaign, here are the player ratings for those involved this term.
Tottenham player ratings for the 2023/24 season
Guglielmo Vicario: What a first season in the Premier League it has been for the Italian keeper. He has firmly established himself as Tottenham’s new number one, and is the first Spurs stopper to go a full season without making an error leading to a goal. Now, if Vicario can just sort out those set-piece frailties, he will be absolutely perfect. 9 out of 10.
Pedro Porro: The Spaniard still has a way to go to be as reliable in defensive areas as we need, but he has improved in that respect. Most impressive, though, is the danger Porro has posed in attacking areas. With four goals and seven assists this season, Porro has been an invaluable creative source. 8 out of 10.
Emerson Royal: He really does try his best, but sadly, it’s not enough anymore. Royal has played out of position and served the squad admirably during the injury crisis, but misplaced passes and a lack of defensive awareness have left the Brazilian with little impact at either end of the pitch. 5 out of 10.
Cristian Romero: The Spurs vice-captain has made huge strides in channelling his aggression into a more positive facet of his game, and it’s worked wonders. Romero has become a real leader in the squad, has been a truly reliable member of the defence, and has even contributed goals this year, too. 9 out of 10.
Micky van de Ven: Spurs desperately needed a top centre-back to partner Romero this season, and in Micky van de Ven, they found just that. The Dutchman has brought composure and pace to the Tottenham backline, and his passing ability has been perfect for Postecoglou’s system. 9 out of 10.
Ben Davies: Has been relegated to defensive cover now since the arrivals of van de Ven and Radu Dragusin, but Davies has still stepped up and been totally reliable when needed. 7 out of 10.
Radu Dragusin: It’s been a tough first few months at Tottenham for Dragusin, who has had to bide his time to get opportunities in the team. Has found that path cleared to a degree of late, and really looks like he will be a great fit for this side thanks to his aggression, strength, and timing in the tackle. 7 out of 10.
Destiny Udogie: It’s a shame his season had to end early, because Udogie has been one of the shining lights in the Spurs team this year. His pace and strength have helped him cover a lot of ground and allow him to make those daring runs forward that are key to this system. It’s scary to think he will only get better. The youngster now just needs to work on knowing when to release the ball so he doesn’t get caught in possession. 8 out of 10.
Pape Sarr: Yet another young player who has emerged as a top player under Postecoglou. Having struggled for minutes last year, Sarr has now become arguably the first midfielder on the team sheet. He can break up play in the middle, burst forward with the ball, and has even contributed some goals, too. 8 out of 10.
Rodrigo Bentancur: Has struggled to recapture his best form after a couple of injuries and ended the season very visibly frustrated. Hopefully, he can get some consistency and stay fit, otherwise we may never see Bentancur at his silky best again. 6 out of 10.
Yves Bissouma: At the start of the season, it seemed Spurs were finally seeing the player they thought they’d signed from Brighton. Bissouma was dominant in the middle of the park, and made everything look so effortless. Since the turn of the year, though, he’s really struggled and doesn’t even look like his heart is in it. 5 out of 10.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg: Having taken a backseat this season, you have to commend Hojbjerg for the way he has remained professional and he’s entered the field at different points this term and put in really important, solid performances. Sadly, he just lacks the dynamism that we need in midfield. 6 out of 10.
Oliver Skipp: Has featured even less than Hojbjerg and is way down the pecking order at Spurs. Skipp has looked like a lost soul at times in the middle of the park, but he did have a decent cameo at left-back. 5 out of 10.
James Maddison: In the first ten games of the season, Maddison looked like the kind of player Spurs had been crying out for for years, providing a slew of goals and assists. Sadly, injury hampered his progress and he’s not looked quite as sharp in the second half of the campaign. 7 out of 10.
Giovani Lo Celso: Apart from a very brief period where he scored two goals and registered two assists, there is not a lot to discuss on Lo Celso this season. He’s put in the effort on the pitch, but he just can’t seem to find his way into the team regularly enough to make any kind of impact. 6 out of 10.
Dejan Kulusevski: When he’s been at his best this season, Kulusevski has remained as dangerous as ever. But sadly, he’s had far too many games where he goes missing or gives away possession too easily. The cut-in from the right is getting too predictable, too. But, two goals on the final day do suggest he is back on track. 6 out of 10.
Brennan Johnson: The only negatives you can throw at Johnson is that he sometimes makes the wrong decision with the ball, and that he sometimes panics in front of goal. Apart from that, the Welshman has come in and offered plenty of running, determination, and dangerous balls in from the wing. His returns of five goals and ten assists are not to be sniffed at. 8 out of 10.
Timo Werner: A short stay in North London may be all we get from Timo Werner, but it was a fairly productive spell. Similar to Johnson, the German offered great energy and creativity down the wing, but he lacked the composure needed to make his own opportunities count. 7 out of 10.
Heung-min Son: Sonny has stepped up as a captain and a source of goals for Spurs this season and has shown just how important he is both on and off the field. He’s far more effective when playing out on the left, and has struggled at times when playing as a number 9, but his returns are still impressive. 8 out of 10.
Richarlison: It has been a far better season for Richarlison this year, and that run of nine goals in eight games at the start of 2024 was a real highlight. He’s pressed with energy and determination, he’s looked far more dangerous in the box, and he’s finally playing with purpose. Sadly, injuries have spoiled his season a little bit is all. 8 out of 10.
Bryan Gil: It is never going to work out for Gil in England sadly. He just cannot get with the pace and physicality of this game and really fails to make an impact in his very brief cameo appearances. 3 out of 10.
Manor Solomon: The new signing looked fairly bright when in the early stages of the season, registering a couple of assists. However, that terrible injury has completely ruined his season and we barely even know if he is a part of the squad moving forward now. 5 out of 10.
The post Opinion: Tottenham Hotspur player ratings for the 2023/24 season appeared first on The Spurs Web - Tottenham Hotspur Football News.