James Maddison is the latest example of what Roberto De Zerbi is getting right
Tottenham Hotspur attacking midfielder James Maddison is crucial to the team, as evidenced by how their best scoring day of the Premier League season came against his childhood club Coventry when he was firing on all cylinders. Maddison scored a brilliant opening goal that day, and he was on point as a creator, irresistible again with his passing and touches.
Maddison started the following week in Spurs impressive 2-0 win over rivals Chelsea, but he could only last 50 minutes. Coming into the game, he missed practice sessions with an apparent injury, and then he hurt his groin in the second half, leading to him being pulled from the game.
Not only was Madders held out of the starting lineup this past weekend in Tottenham's 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace, but he did not even get minutes off the bench. But that precisely what has made Roberto De Zerbi's approach in his first full season as Tottenham manager so refreshing.
Roberto De Zerbi isn't rushing James Maddison
Instead of doing what managers of the past would have done, De Zerbi is making sure he is taking things slowly with his players. He knows the likes of Pedro Porro and James Maddison are important to Tottenham Hotspur achieving their broader goal of returning to Champions League football, but he is also creating a more resilient team that can withstand not having them in the starting 11 against, say, Crystal Palace.
Tottenham need Maddison healthy for the long haul, and by giving him an extra week of full rest before the final game before the November international break against Leeds United this coming weekend, Roberto De Zerbi has saved Maddison a lot of trouble and potentially yet another injury aggravation.
Anyone can see that when Madders is on the pitch, Tottenham are a better team with his leadership, vision, and technical quality. He makes a difference in terms of creating clear cut chances and scoring goals, both of which are major weaknesses for Spurs.
Tottenham are going to need Maddison against tougher opponents than Crystal Palace, but as Spurs fans saw this past weekend, they did not need him to win that game. And that's great news for Spurs going forward; they can withstand not having Maddison every week, which was not the case before De Zerbi. Maddison is in play for minutes against Leeds, and he will be much fresher because De Zerbi had the wisdom to hold him out.
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