Tottenham Hotspur midfielder James Maddison has enjoyed an impressive start to life under Ange Postecoglou, and journalist Dean Jones has given his insight into why he's settled in so quickly, while speaking to GIVEMESPORT.
The former Leicester City man has quickly become a key player for Spurs this season.
Tottenham Hotspur news - James Maddison
Maddison signed for Spurs from the Foxes for a fee of £40m, as per Sky Sports. The England international was relegated to the Championship with Leicester last season, which could have been a concern before bringing him to Hotspur Way. However, Maddison certainly hasn't looked out of place in this Spurs side, and has been imperative to how Postecoglou wants to play.
As per FotMob, Maddison has been Spurs' highest-rated player this campaign, averaging a rating of 8.21, ranking him fifth in the whole of the Premier League. Spurs fans may have been worried about losing their talisman Harry Kane in the summer, but Maddison is stepping up to the plate. Although replicating the goals Kane produced would be almost impossible for the former Norwich City man, his creativity and general play has given the club a lift.
Postecoglou spoke about Maddison's impact following their trip to Bournemouth, where the Lilywhites defeated the Cherries by two goals to nil...
“There wasn’t anyone happier than me when we got him. I was delighted. I wouldn’t say I’m surprised, but I’m overjoyed at the footballer I’ve got. The way he’s embraced the whole club, where he’s at in his life. He really wants to be the person."
It was an impressive coup from Spurs to bring in Maddison for £40m in today's inflated market, but even the fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium might not have expected him to make this much of an impact in a short space of time.
Maddison has been better than expected - Dean Jones
Although it's fairly common knowledge how good Maddison is, there is an argument that he's been slightly underrated during his career. Some evidence for that is the fact Maddison only has three caps for his country, despite putting up ridiculous numbers in the Premier League, even in struggling sides.
Jones has admitted that the Spurs playmaker has been better than he initially expected. The journalist adds that he's adapted to the style with ease and is up to speed with Postecoglou's philosophy. Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said...
"Yeah, I have to admit, he's been even better than I thought he would be. I thought it would take him a few games to get into the system. Maybe the fact that it was a pretty early transfer has given him the time to adapt. The fact you've got a manager coming in there too means that everybody has been learning the system at the same time. So, it's not like he's going in under an old manager where he's behind and understanding the philosophy of the football. He's completely up to speed with everything."
Spurs may have eventually found their Christian Eriksen replacement - a player who can create from deep, put their foot on the ball in midfield, and provide composure in the middle of the park.
James Maddison vs Tottenham's squad - Premier League 2023/24 | ||
|---|---|---|
Output | Rank | |
Goals | 2 | =2nd |
Assists | 2 | 1st |
Key Passes Per Game | 3.3 | 1st |
Shots Per Game | 2.5 | 1st |
Dribbles Per Game | 1.8 | 3rd |
All statistics courtesy of WhoScored | ||
Is James Maddison the signing of the season in the Premier League?
There's certainly an argument when you consider the early impact he's made and the small financial outlay, in comparison to other players who moved in the summer. It's early days, of course, and showing consistency throughout the campaign will be a deciding factor. Maddison always contributed with goals and assists during his time at Leicester, but as shown by their relegation from the Premier League last term, there's an argument to say he didn't have enough of an influence on the whole team's performance.
The likes of Declan Rice, Moussa Diaby, and Alexis Mac Allister have all made impressive starts with their respective clubs, but Maddison absolutely deserves to be in the conversation. Spurs are currently sitting in second place in the Premier League table, so it's safe to say that the England international has had a positive impact so far, after the capital club finished outside of the European spots last season.
With just three England caps to his name, if he continues producing performances like he has in a Spurs shirt, it will be difficult for Gareth Southgate to ignore Maddison, who was described as 'phenomenal' by Rio Ferdinand.