Carragher claims star with 11 goals for Spurs is now ‘a leader in this team’
Jamie Carragher has admitted that he has been impressed with Eric Dier’s performances for Tottenham this season, insisting the centre-back is well suited to playing in a back three.
Dier certainly came in for a lot of criticism last season for some of the unforced errors that he made under Jose Mourinho but the Tottenham man has turned a corner this campaign.
He has made the central sweeper role in Antonio Conte’s back three his own and has earned high words of praise from the Italian (Daily Mail).
The 28-year-old even insisted last month that he believes he is having his best season for Spurs, in terms of consistency, since he arrived at the North London club back in 2014 (Football 365).
Carragher has praised the leadership qualities that Dier brings to the Tottenham side, noting the Lilywhites’ contrasting defensive record when the former Sporting Lisbon man plays compared to when he does not.
Since joining the club, Dier has played an impressive 311 matches across all competitions, scoring 11 goals and assisting another 11 from a variety of positions (TransferMarkt).
The former Liverpool centre-back told Sky Sports (03/04/22, 4:30 pm): “I’ve been really impressed with him (Dier).
“There’s no doubt that since he’s come in, Antonio Conte, he’s placed him in the middle of that back three and you look at the record with and without him, he’s definitely a leader in this team.
“I definitely think this back three suits him rather than playing in a back four.”
Spurs Web Opinion
When Dier was playing his best football under Pochettino, he operated as part of a back three with Vertonghen and Alderweireld in the 2016/17 campaign.
Even when the England man started in midfield at the time, he would essentially drop deep to make it a back three when Spurs had possession.
So, this position is not alien to the 28-year-old, and his quality on the ball and his ability to read the game make him a perfect fit for the role.
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