According to Clinton Morrison, Radu Dragusin’s red card in Tottenham’s 3-0 victory over Qarabag highlights a larger issue at the club
The Romanian was sent off seven minutes into the game as he was forced to pull down Juninho as the last man back after a mishandled ball.
In his live commentary for Sky Sports [27 September, 8:46pm], Morrison stated that Dragusin should have left the Qarabag forward through on goal to avoid a red card, but was surprised by the lack of assistance from his Tottenham teammates.
He stated, “The way Tottenham play is absurd at times. The ball is played to Dragusin, who looks for the right-back, but the right-back is higher than Brennan Johnson, thus the full-backs are elevated.
“Juninho is really lively and he nips in front of Dragusin and he should have just let him go but instantly as a defender, he grabs him and it’s a straight red card.”
Who is to blame for Radu Dragusin’s red card at Tottenham?
If Tottenham had lost to Qarabag after Dragusin was sent off, he would very likely have become the scapegoat for the fans.
While the circumstances was sad, goals from Brennan Johnson, Pape Matar Sarr, and Dominic Solanke secured the victory; yet, Ange Postecoglu’s tactics, which put Dragusin in an impossible situation, cannot be disregarded.
The 22-year-old was expected to put in a strong performance in only his second start of the season, completing 13 passes and one long ball with 100 percent accuracy [Sofascore] and outperforming substitute centre-back Ben Davies against the torrent of Qarabag raids.
However, the one lost ground duel that resulted in a foul and a red card will be his most memorable contribution, but the question remains: where were his Tottenham teammates?
Dragusin could have taken a gamble, as Morrison said, and let Juninho through on goal, but that is not in the DNA of any defender, and he cannot be criticized for acting instinctively and eliminating the threat.
Micky van de Ven (who made the initial pass), Ben Davies, and Archie Gray were all far away from their teammates, as were Sarr and Yves Bissouma, the midfield pivot.
The only logical reason for his colleagues’ position so far up the pitch is that Postecoglu commanded them to do so; the decision terminated what could have been a productive appearance for Dragusin and Lucas Bergvall, who were substituted for defensive stability.
Even in Dragusin’s only previous Premier League appearance this season against Newcastle United, it is apparent that the manager expects too much from his central defenders.
In the 2-1 loss at St James Park, the centre-back split his duties on either side of the halfway line, with a pass accuracy of only 79% in the opponent half and eight possession turnovers.
With an aerial success rate of 67% and an overall duel success percentage of 78%, Dragusin’s striking parallels to fellow centre-backs van de Ven and Cristian Romero show a major flaw in Postecoglu’s system.
Dragusin is in the top 92 percentile for touches in the opposing box and the 85 percentile for progressive passes received when compared to his defensive counterparts [FBref]. From center-back, the statistics make for some interesting insight into how far the Spurs manager wants.
Tottenham had a lucky escape against Qarabag, but against greater Premier League opposition, it is evident that there is a hole to exploit, and if Postecoglu sticks to his guns, Spurs will swiftly fall down the league standings.
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