Arsenal legend Cesc Fabregas is not convinced by the tactics Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou, but believes his old rivals have a ‘complete’ player at their disposal in James Maddison.
Tottenham are firmly in the race for Champions League qualification in what has been a very impressive first season in English football for Postecoglou.
The Australian’s daring high press and high defensive line has produced some dazzling football this season but has also been questioned when results have not gone their way – namely the 4-1 defeat at home to Chelsea last November.
Former Arsenal skipper Fabregas began his coaching career last summer with Serie B side Como, briefly stepping in as interim boss in November and now part of the first-team staff.
While he admirers the bravery in Postecoglou’s set-up, he says he is ‘not a big fan’ of the approach.
‘It is brave and you need to trust your players a lot,” Fabregas told Planet Premier League Podcast.
‘But for me you are not under control because you are basically reacting, you are not proactive. You are reacting to their movements, you are reacting to whatever the striker wants to do.
‘If he comes deep, I come with him. If he goes attacking the space, I go with him. I’m not a big fan of this because as I said, you are not in control of the situation. He’s dictating the play for you.
‘I like to dictate my play and I like to take the defence. If the ball is covered, then I can press. If the ball is uncovered then my defenders need to drop a little bit.’
Despite some reservations, Fabregas has been impressed with Tottenham this season, particularly their creator-in-chief Maddison.
The 27-year-old has four league goals and eight assists despite missing 10 games through injury with the former Arsenal captain believing he has everything a creative midfielder needs to his game.
‘Straight away you could feel he’s got the confidence,” Fabregas said of Maddison.
‘He’s got the personality to demand the ball, to make things happen and to create situations. He’s good at dribbling, he is good at assisting and he can score goals. So he’s a really complete player in my opinion.
‘He has a good understanding with Son and the strikers and for me he’s a fantastic player to have. And as a coach I’m sure that you need to adapt to the strengths of your players and the better quality they have, the easier it is. And definitely he is one of them you would always want in your team.’
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