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Jamie O’Hara tears into Tanganga and Lenglet after Spurs draw
Jamie O’Hara that Tottenham Hotspur’s defence against Brentford was nowhere near good enough, comparing Japhet Tanganga to an under-15s player.
Spurs fans must be tempted to not bother with the first-half when they take on Aston Villa on New Year’s Day. They have now conceded the opening goal in their last nine games.
That run continued against Brentford on Boxing Day. And it got worse for Spurs during the second-half, with Ivan Toney doubling the Bees’ lead from a corner.
O’Hara criticises Tanganga after Spurs draw
Some of the defending from Tottenham was calamitous. Dier made an error before the corner that led to the second goal. And neither Clement Lenglet or Tanganga managed to stake a claim to keep their places in the 2-2 draw.
Certainly, O’Hara felt that Tottenham really missed Cristian Romero against Brentford. He was extremely critical of both Lenglet and Dier, with perhaps his most cutting criticism aimed at Tanganga.
“Romero’s a massive loss for us. He’s won the World Cup, give him his due, he’s entitled to go and enjoy himself in Argentina for a week or so. But we need him back. Without him, we’re a completely different side. He is a world-class centre-half. I think he’s fantastic,” .
“It’s a lack of leadership. It’s a lack of quality. Eric Dier shinning the ball out of play. Lenglet, not marking, not good on the ball. Tanganga, the timing of a header is like under-15s. He’s had to bring on Sanchez just so he could win a header. And Sanchez is one of the worst players in the squad. It’s nowhere near good enough.”
It seems unfair to be too critical of Tanganga following the draw. Quite remarkably, the 23-year-old was making his first Premier League appearance of the season.
It has been a frustrating campaign for Tanganga so far. He had previously looked like a very talented defender. However, he has struggled with injuries. And they came at a time when he would have been hoping to take that leap from youngster into important member of the first-team.
It is now hard to see Tanganga making the grade at Spurs. He surely needs a loan spell if he is going to prove his doubters wrong in the future.
The odd appearance against a very decent Premier League side is not going to do him any favours whatsoever.