Tottenham and Bayern Munich were seemingly locked in talks over a deal for Kane all summer, with the transfer eventually being agreed just before the start of the Premier League season.

As expected, the 31-year-old has taken the Bundesliga by storm and the striker looks to be in with a good chance to end his long wait for silverware this season given Bayern’s impressive start to the campaign and having booked their place in the knockout stages of the Champions League.

Some may have been surprised by the timing of Kane’s switch, given that he was just 47 goals away from Alan Shearer’s Premier League goal record. 

However, Maddison expects the England captain to continue playing until his late thirties and believes he could still return to England in the future to break the record.

(Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP) (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images)

Maddison on taking over Harry Kane’s number ten shirt

The Spurs playmaker told Amazon Prime Video about Kane’s switch to Bayern: “I’m really happy for him to go to a top club. Did I want him to stay? Of course, I did.

“He’s not over-reliant on pace so I could see him playing for years and years and it wouldn’t surprise me if he had his eye on that goal-scoring record in the Prem.”

Maddison has proven to be a worthy heir to Kane’s number ten shirt, with the attacking midfielder taking his game to a new level since his switch to Tottenham prior to his injury.

When asked about taking the number ten shirt, the 26-year-old responded: “It all happened so quick. Me and H had a bit of banter. I was wearing no.71 in pre-season and I was getting a bit of stick. 

“We wanted to see and weigh up what number I was going to wear. There was a bit of banter – ‘Madders, are you waiting for Harry to go?’ I would have stayed 71 believe me to keep him!”

Spurs Web Opinion

The fact that Spurs temporarily handed Maddison the number 71 shirt was evidence that the club always expected the Kane deal to eventually go through and for the number ten shirt to become available.  Hopefully he can continue where he left off when he returns from his ankle injury.

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Although Vicario had emerged as one of the best goalkeepers in Serie A over the course of his two seasons at Empoli, he was still a relatively unknown quantity to most Premier League fans when he arrived at Tottenham to become Hugo Lloris‘ successor.

In fact, it is fair to say that a lot of Spurs fans were not particularly excited about the Italian’s arrival, being quite miffed at the time that the club did not get a deal for David Raya over the line.

However, the 27-year-old has had an outstanding start to his Tottenham career and has quickly become a fan favourite in his first few months at the North London club.

(Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)

Maddison was unaware of who Vicario was

Maddison was in the same boat as most of us, revealing that he had not heard of Vicario, and the midfielder remarked that the former Empoli man is very difficult to score past in training.

The England international was asked about Vicario in an interview with former keeper Ben Foster on Amazon Prime Video: “I hadn’t obviously signed yet.  I was like, who is he? Kind of thing.  I’ve never heard of him.

“I’m in the back of the car on his YouTube Vicario highlights to see if he is any good.

When asked by Foster if what he saw was decent, he added: “They were alright to be fair, brilliant shot stopper.  That’s the one thing I think he’s hard to score past.  Sometimes we’ll practise penalties and stuff and shooting in training, I want him in goal because he’s the hardest to score past.”

When @SpursOfficial signed Guglielmo Vicario, @Madders10 had to look him up on YouTube! @BenFoster

Maddison's team-mates face West Ham this Thursday LIVE on Prime Video in the UK pic.twitter.com/eD8F0TTGaX

— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) December 4, 2023

Spurs Web Opinion

Vicario appears to be a goalkeeper’s goalkeeper in the sense that everyone who has played in the position seems to have an especially high opinion of him.

The likes of Gianluigi Buffon, Mark Schwarzer and Thomas Sorensen have all waxed lyrical about him and now Foster has also said that he has been a cut above the other goalkeepers in the Premier League.

That is a sign that we potentially have a special talent on our hands. The Tottenham recruitment team deserves huge credit for securing services of the 27-year-old.

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Tottenham have had to deal with almost an unprecedented number of injuries over the last month, with Ange Postecoglou even admitting last week that he does not remember a time in his two-decade-long managerial career where he has had so many players out at the same time (Football.London).

Among all those absentees, perhaps the most consequential has been the loss of Maddison, who was arguably the best player across the Premier League until his injury against Chelsea at the start of November.

Over the last two matches, the likes of Giovani Lo Celso and Dejan Kulusevski have stepped up to fill some of the creative void left by the England international’s absence but Postecoglou would want the 26-year-old back as soon as possible.

(Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)

Maddison admits injury is healing slowly

Maddison remarked that he is quite restless to get back on to the pitch but admitted that he has no choice but to be patient with his rehabilitation. 

The former Leicester City man told Amazon Prime Video Sport: “It’s healing well, it’s a bit of a slow burner which is obviously frustrating because like you said, I started the season so well. But it’s healing, slowly but surely.

“This is probably the longest one [injury] I’ve had if it’s say three months, I’ve never really gone past that. It’s frustrating, you know what it’s like being injured, everyday is tough, especially at Spurs, the training ground has got the big window so the physio room is just looking perfectly out to the training pitch watching all the lads train and prepare for the games at the minute.

“You have that helpless feeling but it’s recovering well, it’s one of them, it’s going to take a bit of time, you’ve got to just accept it and then crack on with the rehab.”

Spurs Web Opinion

The performances of Lo Celso and Kulusevski in the number ten role means that Tottenham do not need to rush Maddison back. The club will want to ensure that the midfielder makes a complete recovery, particularly given the ankle problem seems to have been troubling him from the start of the season.

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Spurs will sorely miss Maddison’s creativity over the coming weeks, with the midfielder not expected to be back in action against January.

The 26-year-old had been one of the best players in the Premier League over the first few months of the season and it was always going to be difficult to replace his creativity.

The most like-for-like replacement in the squad to the England international is Lo Celso, who thrived in the number ten role during pre-season.

However, Ange Posteocglou decided to play the Argentine in a deeper midfield role against Aston Villa, with Dejan Kulusevski operating as the number ten.

The 27-year-old  gave an excellent account of himself and was one of the best players on the pitch despite it being his first Premier League start of the season.

(Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)

Is it finally time for Giovani Lo Celso to step up?

Tottenham will need Lo Celso to step up over the next few weeks, given the injuries they are dealing with, but Brown believes that the former Real Betis man is not going to offer what Maddison would.

The former Spurs midfielder told Optus Sport Football Podcast: “I’ve got to say, that analysis there with Maddison and Lo Celso. Mate, that’s like comparing Belgian chocolate truffles in Maddison to a Milky Bar with Lo Celso. They’re not on the same level.”

Spurs Web Opinion

Maddison is up there with the best playmakers across the Premier League. So, not a lot of players can offer what the former Leicester star does. 

However, Postecoglou’s solution of playing Bentancur, Lo Celso and Kulusevski in the middle against Villa was a good solution as the trio combined, have plenty of creativity. Sadly, with Bentancur now out of action, the bulk of the playmaking responsibility will fall on the shoulders of Lo Celso.

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Tottenham have boasted of some of the most technically gifted midfield players over the last few decades, with the likes of Glenn Hoddle, Paul Gascoigne, Luka Modric, Rafael Van de Vaart, and Christian Eriksen all producing moments of magic at White Hart Lane over the years.

The early signs are that Maddison could also follow in their footsteps and become a cult figure at the North London club, with the 26-year-old hitting the ground running since his move to North London.

The £40m that Spurs paid for the England international looks like one of the best bargains of the last few years and many Premier League sides will undoubtedly be kicking themselves for not betting on the former Leicester City man.

(Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)

Redknapp impressed by Maddison and Van de Ven

Redknapp admitted that he has been extremely impressed by the way Maddison and Micky van de Ven have settled in at N17.

The former Spurs boss said on the Kammy & Ben’s Proper Football Podcast (23/11/23): “They (Tottenham) look good – they have good players.

“Maddison is their type. They’ve had the Modrics, the Van der Vaarts. They’ve had quality players who could do things and Maddison is a fantastic footballer.

“They brought another centre-half [Micky van de Ven] in to go with the Argentinian boy [Cristian Romero]. He looks strong and quick. They look a very decent team at the moment.”

Spurs Web Opinion

Maddison looks like he was born to play for Spurs. The 26-year-old is a pure entertainer on the pitch and he could potentially become a modern-day Tottenham legend, given that his peak years are still ahead of him.

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Maddison has been one of the best players in the league so far and has been the catalyst to Tottenham’s success. Spurs paid £40m to sign the 26-year-old from Leicester City in the summer on a five-year deal (Sky Sports).

The midfielder has played 12 games for the club across all competitions, scoring thrice and assisting five times (Transfermarkt). He formed a telepathic connection with captain Son Heung-min on the pitch.

Maddison is expected to be out of action until the start of the New Year (Guardian). In his absence, Spurs lack a creative force in attack. They will need to look for inspiration elsewhere to fill the void created by the former Foxes midfielder.

(Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)

Maddison was surprised by Postecoglou’s decision

Speaking in a Q&A posted on Spurs’ official account, Maddison was asked how it felt to be handed a leadership role shortly after joining the club. Here is what he had to say.

“Well, I was taken aback. Obviously, I was very surprised. The gaffer hadn’t said anything to me previous. He announced that Sonny was the captain, and me and Cuti were the vice-captains to the group. I was a little bit taken aback.

“Obviously honoured, a great honour. Just because I’m a new player. I always like to think that I’ve got good leadership skills and will carry myself in the way of a leader.

“But to get that recognition from the manager, and for him to put that trust in me in that role to be captain, me or Cuti whenever Son is absent, or even just be a leader around the group that he feels that I’m capable of doing that, yeah, was very honoured.”

Spurs Web Opinion

Ange Postecoglou has hardly put a foot wrong since becoming the Spurs manager but some eyebrows were raised when he announced the captain and the vice-captains for this season.

The Australian has been spot on though, with his judgement. All three players seem to be thriving with the added responsibility. It bodes well for Spurs. We only hope Maddison can come back from injury soon.

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The 56-year-old retired English midfielder spent four seasons at the North London club from 1988 to 1992. He made 96 appearances for Spurs, scoring 21 goals and providing six assists (Transfermarkt).

After leaving Tottenham, Gazza also had three prolific seasons at Lazio before eventually becoming somewhat of a journeyman. He retired after a very short stint with Boston United in 2024.

Playing in the same position as Gascoigne did for the majority of his career, Maddison is thriving at Tottenham. He has three goals and five assists from just 12 appearances for the club (Transfermarkt).

(Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)

Maddison wants Gascoigne in the current Spurs team

When asked which former Spurs player he would choose to play along with right now, Maddison went for the Tottenham and England legend, Paul Gascoigne.

Speaking in a Q&A with Spurs’ official social media account, the English midfielder revealed that his dad was a huge fan of Gascoigne whilst he was growing up.

He said: “I think the first one I’d probably have to say is Gazza, just because he was my dad’s favourite player growing up and I used to watch clips of him purely because my dad loved the way he played.

“Obviously, I got the pleasure of meeting him at the last England camp, which was very surreal, kind of a pinch-me moment. I’d probably bring Gazza back in and have him in midfield with me.”

Spurs Web Opinion

The prospect of having Gazza in an Ange Postecoglou midfield is absolutely enticing. Few players had the natural talent that Gascoigne possessed and he certainly would have been perfect for how the Australian gaffer wants us to play.

We do have Maddison though, whose flair and creativity make him a joy to watch. As he tries and carves an identity for himself at Tottenham, let’s hope he can perform even better than Gascoigne and help us win the elusive silverware.

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Tottenham paid £40m to sign the 26-year-old from Leicester City in the summer on a 5-year-deal (Sky Sports). Considering his impressive start to the season, the fee feels like an absolute bargain.

Maddison is expected to be out of action until the start of the New Year (Guardian). Prior to his injury though, the midfielder played 12 games for the club across all competitions, scoring thrice and assisting five times (Transfermarkt).

Speaking on the Pro-Am Padel Tour to Stats Perform as quoted by BeIN Sports, former Spurs striker Bobby Zamora even expressed his utmost disbelief that his club managed to sign Maddison at such a low price.

His former teammate Jodi even claimed that the Tottenham man has the ‘best first touch’ he has ever seen (Athletic). It is clear that Maddison has a lot of fans in footballing circles.

LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 23: James Maddison of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal with teammate Son Heung-Min during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 23, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)

Son Heung-min was always a fan of James Maddison

Speaking to Men In Blazers, captain Son Heung-min was full of praise for Maddison and revealed being a fan of him back during the latter’s time at Leicester City.

Son said: “After Christian Eriksen left the club, we didn’t have that type of player who can make that final decision, final pass. He did for a couple of years. But as soon as Madders came, you could see that Spurs needed a player like him.

“Obviously, he’s settled in really well. He works really hard to be a big part of this club. He’s just a shining boy, a star boy. And I’m just very glad to have this kind of player. I was a big fan when he was still at Leicester.

“I still remember after a Leicester game, I said to him, ‘what a player you are. You’re a fantastic player’. And he really appreciated it. As soon as he went and signed for us, I was one of the happiest guys in the world.”

Spurs Web Opinion

In the first few months, one of the most beautiful things about Postecoglou’s Spurs is the relationship that Son Heung-min and Maddison managed to foster in such a short span of time. It is now evident that the seeds were sown long before.

It only bodes well for us that the duo seem to have amazing chemistry on and off the pitch. They have combined to devastating effect already this season and we hope it will continue once the English midfielder returns from injury.

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Maddison has been one of the best players in the league so far and has been the catalyst to Tottenham’s success. It is no coincidence that Tottenham have dropped points in the two games that he has been injured for the club.

Tottenham paid £40m to sign the 26-year-old from Leicester City in the summer on a 5-year-deal (Sky Sports). Right now, that fee looks like an absolute bargain for what Maddison brings to the table.

Maddison is expected to be out of action until the start of the New Year (Guardian). Prior to his injury though, the midfielder played 12 games for the club across all competitions, scoring thrice and assisting five times (Transfermarkt).

Notts County midfielder Jodi, a player who played with Maddison at Coventry City recently revealed to The Athletic that he had not seen a player with a better first touch than the Tottenham man.

(Photo by Chloe Knott – Danehouse/Getty Images)

Maddison has been ‘sensational’ for Tottenham

Speaking on talkSPORT (broadcast on 19/11; 8:39), pundit Tony Cascarino thinks James Maddison has been ‘sensational’ for Tottenham Hotspur and picked the 26-year-old ahead of the likes of Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai as his player of the season so far.

“James Maddison. Getting Tottenham to the top of the league, and okay, they’re not there now, but he was sensational with his assists and goals that enabled Spurs to not miss one of the great centre forwards in world football, Harry Kane. I think Maddison’s performances have excelled.”

Spurs Web Opinion

When Maddison joined us, everyone had question marks over his ability to adapt to a big club. The 26-year-old has quashed such theories in some style. His relationship with Son Heung-min on the pitch has been a joy to watch.

We might just be about to realise how important Maddison is to the way we play. In his absence, Ange Postecoglou lacks a creative presence unless he decides to trust Giovani Lo Celso in that role. Let’s hope the English star recovers from his injury soon. Until then, we will have to get creative.

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Zamora spent a very brief time at Tottenham during the 2003/04 season, playing 18 games for the club while scoring one goal and providing two assists. He then left for West Ham on a free transfer. (Transfermarkt)

Tottenham signed Maddison from the Foxes for a fee of £40m and it looks like they got an absolute steal. The 26-year-old has established himself as one of the best players in the Premier League this season.

There were concerns over whether Maddison would have the ability to adapt to one of the big clubs but he has made the step up seamlessly. Other Premier League sides will surely be ruing missing out on the English star and letting him join Tottenham without a fight.

Maddison is expected to be out of action until the start of the New Year with an injury, but the 26-year-old has been the sole creative force in the new-look Spurs team when fit (Guardian).

Prior to his injury, Maddison played 12 times for Tottenham across all competitions, scoring three goals and providing five assists.

He has formed an enviable partnership with Son Heung-min and the duo are the main reason why Spurs have had such an impressive start to the campaign (Transfermarkt).

LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 23: James Maddison of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal with teammate Son Heung-Min during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 23, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)

Zamora can’t believe James Maddison price tag

Speaking on the Pro-Am Padel Tour to Stats Perform as quoted by BeIN Sports, former Spurs striker Bobby Zamora has expressed utmost disbelief that his club managed to sign Maddison at such a low price.

He said: “They are very impressive. The manager, I really like him as well. They have made a couple of good signings and when you see Maddison, he has certainly been on fire.

“I can’t believe the price they paid for him and it’s the deal of the century, to be honest. They’re looking in a really good place and it’ll be interesting to see if they can continue that form for the whole year or not.”

Spurs Web Opinion

We indeed got very lucky with the signing of James Maddison. When a player of his pedigree is usually available on the market, the competition is very fierce.

It shows that Spurs did some smart business this summer with Maddison, Guglielmo Vicario and Micky van de Ven all impressing in such a short span of time. I only see Maddison getting better from here. The only worry is that he is susceptible to injuries and the club need to be wary of that.

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Maddison has quickly won over the Tottenham fan base, not just because of his on-pitch performances but also because of the authenticity in the way he speaks to the media.

The 26-year-old has also evidently become quite popular in the Tottenham changing room, which is perhaps a testament to his infectious personality.

Ange Postescoglou was quick to notice the attacking midfielder’s leadership skills, naming him as one of his two vice-captains even though the former Leicester man only arrived at Spurs this summer.

Unfortunately, Tottenham fans never got to see how Maddison would link up with Kane but that is a partnership that England supporters would want to see a lot of in next summer’s European championship.

(Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP) (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images)

James Maddison is a good player to have in the camp

By the sounds of it, the pair get along quite well with each other, with the Bayern striker describing the midfielder as ‘cheeky’.

When asked who the biggest prankster was at Bayern and England, the striker told ESPN: “At Bayern, I’d probably say Serge Gnabry, he’s welcomed me in the best way possible with a few pranks here and there. He’s a really good guy, has a few jokes in him, and then probably someone like Madders, yeah, I’d probably put Madders in there he’s a bit cheeky like that yeah.”

When asked which teammates he would like to see on I’m a Celebrity, Kane said: “James Maddison, I think he’d be good value, I think he could (win) actually, he has a great personality.”

Spurs Web Opinion

Similarly to Ange, Maddison also comes across as quite emotionally intelligent and it is not difficult to see why the midfielder and the Tottenham head coach get along quite well.

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Maddison has been one of the best players across the Premier League this season, with the attacking midfielder having taken his game to a new level now that he is surrounded by better players and is operating in a system that suits him perfectly.

The £40m that Tottenham paid to sign him in the summer already looks like a considerable bargain and many clubs across the division would undoubtedly be kicking themselves for not betting on the England international.

The 26-year-old is expected to be out of action until the start of the New Year (Guardian) and it remains to be seen how Ange Postecoglou’s men are able to cope without his creativity in the middle of the park.

(Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)

Has James Maddison got the best touch in the PL?

Jodi has now spoken about what sets Maddison apart from the rest, remarking that the Spurs star’s immaculate first touch allows him more time than most players.

The Malta international told The Athletic about the midfielder: “He is a good guy. I say that to everyone. Some people might see him as arrogant. But when you know him, you understand that he just believes in his ability.

“He backs himself. He is confident. Without that, I don’t think he would be where he is now. I still don’t think I have seen anyone with a better first touch than him, which takes him into another position — it might take him past a player; it might give him space for a shot.”

Spurs Web Opinion

While I always knew Maddison’s technique was outstanding, I never appreciated until his move to Tottenham just how quick his feet were. His excellent first touch allied with his impressive feet means that he is quite press-resistant and can wriggle out of tight areas with ease.

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Before Maddison’s arrival in North London, it was Bentancur who provided goals and creativity from midfield.

Last season, the Uruguayan bagged six goals and two assists in the first half of the campaign (Transfermarkt) before suffering a season-ending ACL injury in February.

Thankfully, Spurs fans didn’t miss Bentancur too much in the early stages of this campaign, with Maddison instantly settling in and pulling the strings for Ange Postecoglou‘s side.

With three goals and five assists from the first 11 games, Maddison was a key player for the Lilywhites. But, he lasted less than 45 minutes in the defeat against Chelsea last week, withdrawing after a knock to his ankle.

LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 27: Tottenham Hotspur’s Rodrigo Bentancur and Son Heung-Min celebrate at the end of the match during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur at Selhurst Park on October 27, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images)

Who will replace Maddison? Rodrigo Bentancur?

It has since been revealed that the playmaker will be out of action until January (Telegraph), which is a huge blow for Spurs.

In terms of replacing Maddison, there are a number of options, with Giovani Lo Celso touted as potentially being the one to step into that 10 role. But, Onuoha thinks Bentancur could be a better fit.

He told Premier League Productions: “It is a big list and these are people who have done very well for the team this season, but they do have players who want to come in and make a difference. 

“The big one that is slept on is the return of Bentancur, he is someone that will thrive in this Postecoglou system, so that may give him the chance to break into the side because as well as Maddison and Son were playing, maybe he’s now likely to get more minutes.

“I genuinely think he might [play as a 10] and I’m looking forward to seeing how they approach that.”

Spurs Web Opinion

Bentancur proved how effective he can be in advanced positions last season, and that was as part of a midfield two. With the likes of Bissouma and Sarr behind him now, he will have even more freedom to explore the attacking third, and could well be a revelation there.

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Spurs’ summer recruitment decisions have worked a treat, with Vicario, Van de Ven and Maddison hitting the ground running in North London.

Even Manor Solomon showed some promise before his injury while Brennan Johnson has also shown glimpses of his quality over recent weeks.

A couple of weeks ago, The Guardian explained that one of Postecoglou’s non-negotiables when deciding who to sign was to look at players who were desperate to come to the club.

The report claimed that the Tottenham head coach spoke to all the players in the summer and only approved the deals if he got the right feeling about them.

They even asserted that the Australian passed on a player as he got the impression that the player was more driven by getting away from his side rather than joining Spurs.

WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 11: Ange Postecoglou, Manager of Tottenham Hotspur, looks on prior to the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur at Molineux on November 11, 2023 in Wolverhampton, England. (Photo by Jack Thomas – WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images)

New trio were all determined to play for Spurs

Postecoglou has now admitted that hearing how keen Vicario, Van de Ven and Maddison were to join the club was very important for him.

The Spurs boss told TNT Sports’ Behind the Lines: “I try and make a conversation and you see where the conversation goes. It’s the ones where you just see it in them that nothing is as important as they just want to be at the club.

“When I spoke to Vicario or Van De Ven or even Madders it was like I want to play for Tottenham, I want to play for you guys. When you hear that in your voice that’s the best starting point for me.”

Spurs Web Opinion

Cynics will say that all managers are the same and only want players who are keen to come. However, there is a big difference between a player simply seeing Tottenham as a decent career option and one who is desperate to play for the club, with Ange alluding to only wanting the latter.

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When Maddison came off with an ankle problem in the first half against Chelsea last week, Spurs fans would have been hoping that it was nothing serious, with Ange Postecoglou describing it as a ‘knock’ after the game (Football.London).

However, we have since learnt that the attacking midfielder will be out of action until January (The Standard), which is a significant blow to the Lilywhites, given that the 26-year-old has arguably been the club’s best player this season.

It was evident during Tottenham’s 2-1 loss at Wolves just how important Maddison was to the side, with Postecoglou’s men lacking the quality in the final third to create chances with regularity.

(Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

James Maddison is determined to come back strong

The former Leicester City man has taken to social media to promise Tottenham supporters that he will return as a better player in the New Year.

The rollercoaster that is football unfortunately. Will need a period of time away from the pitch to get this one right. See you in the new year Spurs fans, I’ll be back better & stronger for sure, promise you that pic.twitter.com/8s9oQ4xIAJ

— James Maddison (@Madders10) November 11, 2023

Spurs Web Opinion

While Tottenham were always going to miss Maddison’s creativity, that problem was exacerbated by the fact that Ange played Hojbjerg in a three alongside Bissouma and Sarr. One would hope that Lo Celso will be given the nod to start in the number eight/ten role after the international break.

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Maddison has arguably been the best player across the Premier League so far this season, with the 26-year-old being the one who has made Tottenham tick as an attacking unit.

Apart from the England international’s impact in the final third, Spurs will also miss his leadership skills, now that it has been confirmed that the former Leicester City man will be out of action until next year.

(Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

James Maddison’s injury is a blow to Spurs

Postecoglou has revealed that he will tweak the overall structure of the side to be able to cope without James Maddison.

When asked about replacing the midfielder, the Australian told Football.London: “I don’t think you can replace him but the system kind of adjusts to the individuals within it, we didn’t create a system for Madders. We had a system and Madders fit into that he brought his own qualities to it.

“Whoever we bring in to replace him isn’t going to be the same player, he’ll bring different qualities to it, but it won’t change our overall structure or intent in the way we want to play. It’s just there’s going to be some variances in there because of the nature of a different player being in there.

“I’m just disappointed for Madders. He’s had an unbelievable start of the season, he’s probably been one of the best players in the competition and he was looking forward to striving for more. I’m disappointed for him that that’s been interrupted in the short-term.”

Tottenham will not just have to cope without Maddison but will also have to field a completely revamped back four, with Micky van de Ven out with a hamstring injury and with Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie suspended for the fixture.

When asked if Guglielmo Vicario would have to play more as a sweeper-keeper as he did in the second half against Chelsea, now that Spurs do not have Van de Ven’s recovery pace to bail them out, Postescoglou responded: “Not necessarily. Obviously, we spoke about it the last game that we felt Vic would probably have to be more aggressive with his position in the second half with what we were trying to do.

“So he started off in a higher position than normal, but 11 v 11 I don’t expect there to be too much of a difference from what he’s done so far. He does have the capacity to do that and it was one of the attractions I had because it does become important when you want to be aggressive with your line, that you have a keeper who is not hesitant coming off it.

“We did speak about it at half-time that we felt like we wanted to be aggressive with our line and being a man down and knowing how Chelsea would set up, there would be fair opportunity that he would have to be ready for that.

“I thought he was outstanding on Monday night. I thought he was brilliant, not just with his goalkeeping, but his whole mentality with at times being a one-man defence with what was coming to him. I thought he was outstanding.”

Spurs Web Opinion

This is now a great opportunity for Giovani Lo Celso to show what he can do and to rescue his Tottenham career. As much as Ange says that there is not a like-for-like replacement for Maddison, the reality is the eight/ten role in his 4-3-3 system is arguably the ideal one for a player of Lo Celso’s attributes.

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Tottenham travel to Molineux tomorrow afternoon for the early kick-off in the Premier League, looking to bounce back from the 4-1 defeat against Chelsea on Monday night.

The bad news is, Spurs will go into this game without four of their key players: Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie are serving suspensions due to their red cards in the Chelsea game, while James Maddison and Micky van de Ven suffered injuries in that match.

Suffice it to say, that makes things pretty difficult for Spurs, who had been flying so far this season. All four of those players had been at the heart of that success, and will be mightily difficult to replace.

(Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)

Spurs players have a chance to impress

But, Ange Postecoglou insists this is now a chance for players we have not seen as much this season, to step up and show what they can do.

When asked if Giovani Lo Celso can benefit from Maddison’s absence, Postecoglou said (via Football.London): “Look, it is not just Gio, it is Bryan Gil, we’ve got to be careful with Bentancur a bit, it is for him, it’s for Skippy, for Eric Dier, for all these guys.

“That is why they have been training hard. They have been training with us, they haven’t been separate from the group.

“Everything we’ve done, we’ve done together. They’ve worked hard and for all of them, it is about being prepared for when the opportunity comes. Fair to say the opportunity comes now for a few of them.

“It’s up to them now to take that opportunity, but they’ve been preparing themselves for that since the first day.”

Spurs Web Opinion

These injuries to Maddison and van de Ven in particular are cruel and frustrating, but it’s a golden chance now to see just how strong our squad is and pinpoint the areas we definitely need to improve in January. We’ve had a great start to the season, which gives us a cushion, but these next couple of months will be tough, I suspect.

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Since joining the Lilywhites from Leicester City in the summer, Maddison has been pulling all the strings for Ange Postecoglou‘s side and has become a key figure in the team.

With three goals and five assists so far this season (Transfermarkt), the playmaker has the attacking returns to go with the impressive performances and has helped Spurs push for a place at the top of the Premier League table. 

Maddison has struggled with injury niggles all season, though, and that appears to have come to a head after the clash with Chelsea on Monday night. The 26-year-old was replaced late in the first half due to a knock on his ankle.

(Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)

Maddison to be out longer than expected

It had been unknown just how severe that knock was, but now we have some updates, and it’s not looking good for Maddison or Spurs.

The Daily Mail discuss how Maddison was called up for the England squad this week but has already withdrawn due to the injury. It is said there are now “significant concerns” at Tottenham and that Maddison could face a “lengthy spell” on the sidelines.

Apparently, the midfielder has undergone a “range of examinations” this week to determine just how serious the injury is.

Meanwhile, the Telegraph describe the situation as a “huge injury blow” for Spurs. It’s said the issue is “worse than first expected.”

Spurs Web Opinion

Well this is the worst news ever, isn’t it? We have relied so heavily on Maddison this season to make things happen, and now we will really see how strong the rest of the squad is at pulling together when we need them. We wish James a speedy recovery.

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Tottenham now face the prospect of being without several of their key players for their trip to Wolves on Saturday after a couple of injuries and red cards in the London derby.

One of those was Maddison, who came off with an ankle problem towards the end of the first half.

It was revealed by Charlie Eccleshare in The Athletic’s The View from The Lane podcast a couple of days ago that the attacking midfielder had been playing through pain for much of the season and had been carrying various niggles into matches.

(Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Doubts over Maddison fitness ahead of Chelsea

If The Telegraph’s latest update is to be believed, there were some doubts at Spurs whether Maddison would be involved in the clash against Chelsea.

There were said to be some question marks about his fitness before the England international was finally passed fit enough to start against the Blues

Spurs Web Opinion

I do not think Postecoglou would have risked Maddison against Chelsea if he had a serious issue or if he felt there was a chance that the midfielder would aggravate the problem he had.

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Ange Postecoglou faces the prospect of being without several of his key players for the trip to Wolves tomorrow, owing to the suspensions and injuries suffered against Chelsea.

One of those is Maddison, who came off with an ankle problem towards the end of the first-half on Monday night at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Tottenham confirm James Maddison injury

It was subsequently reported by The Telegraph that the 26-year-old was a major doubt to be involved against the Blues and was only passed fit just ahead of the clash.

There was some optimism among Spurs fans that the former Leicester City man was on course for a swift recovery when he was named in the England squad for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia.

However, Spurs have this morning confirmed that the attacking midfielder has been withdrawn from the England squad due to his injury and will continue his rehabilitation with the Tottenham medical staff during the international break.

We can confirm that James Maddison has been withdrawn from the England squad due to an ankle injury.

The midfielder will not feature in the Three Lions' UEFA EURO 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia, and will remain at Hotspur Way for rehabilitation with the Club's… pic.twitter.com/Y4WelJrcbO

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) November 10, 2023

Spurs Web Opinion

This pretty much rules out Maddison from playing any part against Wolves, which is a big blow. It will be interesting to see if Postecoglou opts to bring Giovani Lo Celso into the starting eleven or if he potentially shifts Brennan Johnson to the number eight/ten role.

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