In a recent interview with Matchday Live on Optus Sport, Tim Sherwood labelled Tottenham Hotspur defender Davinson Sanchez as ‘a mistake waiting to happen’ when he said, “They’ve got so much talent in forward areas, he (Mourinho) needs to find that solid base behind. He seems to like Eric Dier out of those centre-backs, Alderweireld is the best partner for him, a calming influence. Davinson Sanchez is a mistake waiting to happen.”
Is Sherwood’s Criticism Of Sanchez Justified?
Sherwood’s comments came after Spurs secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Burnley on Monday night, but Sanchez was not a part of Jose Mourinho’s squad that night. The Colombian international was poor in his last league outing when he scored an own goal in a 3-3 draw with West Ham United which led to Mourinho bringing Eric Dier back into his first-team last weekend.
Sanchez has made eight appearances for the North London giants this term and has done well to average 2.3 tackles, 0.8 interceptions and 4.5 clearances per game in the Premier League so far. The 24-year-old has even been tidy with his ball-distribution after completing 84.4% of his attempted passes in the English first division (stats via whoscored).
Spurs have currently got the third-best defensive record in the English top-flight as Jose Mourinho’s players have shipped in just eight goals in six league matches thus far. Except for his own goal against the Hammers, Sanchez has mostly been a top performer for Spurs and has not been guilty of making any high-profile mistakes this season which suggests that Sherwood’s criticism of the player is not justified.
What Does The Colombian Defensive Ace Bring To The Table?
Standing at 1.87m, Sanchez can be a towering presence inside his penalty area and usually wins his fair share of headers for his side. He possesses incredible strength to outmuscle the opposition off the ball but needs to time his tackles a bit better when defending at the back.
The Colombian international can quickly scan the danger and is not shy of clearing his lines when in danger of being outnumbered by the opposition attackers inside his half. However, his concentration levels can drop at times which could make him a liability on the field.
Can Sanchez Turn His Career Around At North London?
At the moment, Sanchez is enjoying a solid campaign and has shown that he won’t let the own goal against West Ham get to him by producing a clean sheet worthy performance versus LASK in the UEFA Europa League last week. This season could be an ideal opportunity for him to step up his game and establish himself as a world-class centre-back under the watchful eyes of Jose Mourinho.
Sanchez is more than capable of becoming a top defender for Spurs in the years to come, so there is no reason for him to take Sherwood’s criticism to heart whenever he laces up to play in the Premier League over the next few months as the fixtures come thick and fast in England.
