I think James Maddison should be worried after Tottenham's 1-1 draw vs Rangers
12/13/2024 02:35 AM
James Maddison will leave Ibrox worried about his future at Tottenham Hotspur as one of the club’s hottest young talents outperformed him against Rangers.
Tottenham were held to a 1-1 draw with Rangers at Ibrox, which looks to be a decent point for Ange Postecoglou's team in the end. The Scottish giants caused Spurs many problems in this key Europa League clash as the pressure continues to mount on their manager.
For Maddison, it was another lacklustre showing with his place in the team already so uncertain. His display against Rangers won’t have done him any favours either, especially with another midfielder staking his claim to start for Postecoglou.
How Lucas Bergvall outperformed James Maddison vs Rangers
James Maddison will return to London with his future at Tottenham even more uncertain following the impressive cameo of Lucas Bergvall. The 18-year-old was tasked, alongside Dejan Kulusevski, with galvanising Spurs’ midfield and he did exactly that as he moved the ball with real purpose.
The Lilywhites’ midfield trio of Yves Bissouma, Rodrigo Bentancur and Maddison struggled to take control of the game and that changed after the introduction of Bergvall and Kulusevski. Both players looked motivated to change the game and the two Swedes helped rescue a point.
Maddison still managed a few bright moments but in a hostile atmosphere and when Tottenham were already up against it, they needed their vice-captain to step up. However, the 28-year-old was just unable to make anything happen for his team and was lucky not to have been hooked off.
| Stat | James Maddison | Lucas Bergvall |
| Minutes | 90 | 29 |
| Touches | 73 | 35 |
| Accurate passes | 51/59 (86%) | 27/28 (96%) |
| Key passes | 2 | 0 |
| Ground duels (won) | 7 (6) | 9 (4) |
| Aerial duels (won) | 0 (0) | 1 (1) |
| Tackles | 1 | 3 |
What Lucas Bergvall’s performance means for James Maddison
Bergvall’s 29-minute cameo was praised by Glenn Hoddle as the Tottenham legend claimed the midfielder showed so much confidence against Rangers. With Spurs set to be without the suspended duo of Bissouma and Bentancur, the Swede staked his claim to start against Southampton.
Postecoglou had plenty of good things to say about the teenager in his press conference: “I thought Lucas was excellent when he came on as well. He was due to start tonight but wasn’t feeling well today. He was a bit under the weather today. We had to keep him on the bench, but that’s a massive positive for us.”
The young Swede has done well in each of his last appearances for the North Londoners and his display against Rangers may well earn him a starting spot against Southampton. If Bergvall continues to perform, Maddison could fall even further down the pecking order at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
