Spurs: £34m flop was tipped for the Ballon d’Or before signing, now he’s ‘usel
The Lilywhites are yet to see any return in investment from their “useless” dud.
Tottenham Hotspur have taken no time at all to adjust to life under Ange as he further endeared himself to his new fanbase with a battling display away to their arch-rivals.
Twice coming from behind, the Lilywhites ensured their unbeaten record in the Premier League was extended to six games with the well-earned 2-2 draw, leaving them fourth in the table.
It is a start that has completely defied expectations, with many rushing to laud the Australian’s work in turning around a sinking ship and injecting some much-needed positivity back into the outfit.
James Maddison, one of his star signings from the summer, sought to outline exactly how they have changed for the better since his arrival: “We’re not in there celebrating a point, I think there was a few little moments at the end especially in the dying minutes where we could have maybe won it from a set-piece.
“I think winning late last week and coming back twice (here), when you hear fans and neutrals talk about Tottenham they often say, ‘soft, weak, they’ll bottle it, Spursy’, all that rubbish. I think the last couple of weeks shows that we might be going in a slightly different direction. Here we go behind twice at arguably one of the best teams in the world, we pull it back and we’re still fighting right until the end. Hopefully we can continue that.”
However, one thing which Postecoglou is still yet to engineer is Richarlison’s return to form, although there have been brief moments that suggest the Brazilian could soon be the next to feel the benefits of this newfound positivity.
How much did Spurs pay for Richarlison?
With Antonio Conte having masterminded their push into Champions League spots, it was only right that Daniel Levy wholeheartedly backed his experienced manager with sufficient funds to take them to the next level.
So, with the additions of Cristian Romero, Yves Bissouma and the Brazilian, they had the perfect spine for a new-look side with the added steel to rid Spurs of that aforementioned mentality.
Disappointingly, only the former of that trio would enjoy a fine debut year, despite the latter having been brought in for a mouth-watering £60m fee from Everton.
The 26-year-old joined fresh from helping the Toffees survive the drop, with his ten goals and five assists for the relegation-threatened outfit a remarkable return given the lack of quality that supported him.
However, Richarlison would fail to translate that form to north London, scoring just a single league goal in his debut year, earning ridicule. For someone to cost such a huge fee and underperform so aggressively marked a terrible piece of business, with even more pressure heaped on his shoulders after the exit of Harry Kane last summer.
It seems now the expectation has fallen on him to thrive in the vacant number nine spot, of which natural winger Heung-min Son is currently instead occupying.
With a mixed reception to his initial signing for Spurs, it seemed like the burden of his price tag had always doomed this transfer from the start.
What praise has Richarlison received?
Whilst one pundit sought to laud Conte’s signing, another was quick to argue against it.
Richarlison’s transfer proved one of the most polarising of the 2022 summer, given just how temperamental his tenure at Goodison Park had been. Despite that, many saw the huge potential that lay within him, with Carlo Ancelotti even reportedly claiming he could win the most elite personal accolade.
The 46-cap forward noted in 2020: “Ancelotti himself has already said that I’m among the 10 best strikers he has coached and that’s an honour for me. It motivated me a lot, I want to improve even more. He already told me that I’ll win the Golden Ball (Ballon d’Or), that I’ll win several championships. I’ll trust the man’s word.
“Now I just need to improve, working hard in training, so I can continue to evolve.”
A notion that now seems laughable, former Celtic ace Chris Sutton was also drawn into the excitement, noting: “Richarlison already looks like one of the best buys of the summer.”
This would be a suggestion supported by Sky Sports’ Alan Smith, who claimed: “It’s a great deal for Spurs. Obviously, with Antonio Conte and the strong position he’s in having got them qualified for the Champions League, he’s an ambitious manager and he would have demanded money to strengthen the squad, and he’s clearly got it.”
| Richarlison’s Full PL Season’s (via Transfermarkt) | Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 (Tottenham Hotspur) | 27 | 1 | 4 |
| 2021/22 (Everton) | 30 | 10 | 5 |
| 2020/21 (Everton) | 34 | 7 | 3 |
| 2019/20 (Everton) | 36 | 13 | 2 |
| 2018/19 (Everton) | 35 | 13 | 2 |
However, the issue was that the manager seemed to massively lose interest throughout the term, even lambasting his summer acquisition, which the former Watford man has since admitted was tough.
Therefore, it was actually former Everton favourite Kevin Campbell who was proven right, as he boldly stated: “Speaking of weird, Richarlison going to Tottenham, I am not having that! I loved Richarlison at Everton, but him going to that lot, I am not having it. I’m with Dan [that Richarlison will flop]. I can’t see him getting in the team, to be honest. I think just because he’s not going to be able to force his way fully into the side, then he’s going to be classed as a flop.
How is Richarlison playing now?
It’s fair to say that this start to the season has fared little better than his last, with the £34m-rated workhorse not doing much to dispel former professional footballer Tom Williams’ claim that he is “useless”.
After all, his one goal and one assist triumphantly came off the bench to turn the Sheffield United game on its head, but before that, he had started their opening four fixtures and remained toothless.
Given the lofty heights Ancelotti expected him to reach, it is fair to say that his current predicament is far from that level.
Although, Postecoglou seemingly remains confident that Richarlison can soon reignite a stuttering career, as he noted in pre-season: “He works hard for the team and a lot of what he does, does not get seen. His pressing, his runs. Sometimes he does not get the ball but he is always making those runs and he is a constant nuisance for defenders. I have said before that I really like Richy”.
Should he regain that feel-good factor and positive relationship with the manager, perhaps at last the Brazilian could set about realising that Ballon d’Or goal that once brought such ridicule.
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