Roy Keane says Tottenham star is too inconsistent to be top class

Former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane has ripped into Tottenham star, James Maddison and questioned when he will step up for Tottenham Hotspur.

James Maddison set to be involved in Tottenham squad

In Tottenham Hotspur’s clash on Sunday against Aston Villa in the FA Cup, the Lilywhites were without eleven first-team players.

Among the absentees was James Maddison, who picked up a calf injury during Spurs’ Europa League match against Hoffenheim. He has been sidelined for three weeks.

Ahead of the Manchester United clash, there are whispers that seven Spurs players could return this weekend and Maddison is among them.

Ange Postecoglou confirmed in his press conference that Maddison is back in training and has a chance to be with the squad against the Red Devils on Sunday.

Roy Keane labels Maddison as inconsistent

Speaking on the latest episode of Stick to Football, Roy Keane has given a scathing assessment of the former Leicester City midfielder’s time at Spurs.

He labelled him inconsistent and questioned when James Maddison will ‘step up’ for Tottenham amid their struggles this year.

He said: “Which players [are we] talking about coming back that can help Spurs? I agree with [Micky van de Ven, Guglielmo Vicario] – that’s two.

“[Destiny] Udogie is not bad. We saw James Maddison at Tamworth, he was taken off! Tamworth are non-league. People say, “Maddison’s the man”, but when is he going to step up to the plate?

“He got relegated with Leicester [City] and [looks like] with Spurs. Maddison isn’t bad but if you think he’s going to come back and get Spurs top six, you’re in cuckoo land.

“He’s a talented player, but if you’re a player in the Spurs dressing room and he’s back in the squad, you wouldn’t be looking and going, ‘James is back today – we’re going to be fine!’.”

He continued: “I saw him, James Maddison, at [Manchester] City when they won that game 4-0 and I thought he blended the quality of his attacking with actually being good in his defensive duties.

“I actually said that he set a standard that night that he’s got to continue to keep. He’s not consistent – that’s the problem with him.”

James Maddison’s 24/25 season at Tottenham

James Maddison’s 24/25 season at Spurs has been steady but unspectacular. The midfielder has played 22 Premier League games this season, 15 of which were starts – he has registered eight goals and four assists in his 22 appearances.

Competition	Appearances	Goals	Assists	Minutes per goal	Minutes total
Premier League	22	8	4	163	1306
FA Cup	1	0	0	N/A	90
Carabao Cup	2	0	0	N/A	107
Europa League	6	1	2	364	364
Totals	31	9	6	207	1867

However, questions have long been raised about Maddison’s work rate, something his manager is well aware of. This concern led to him being benched early in the season for Pape Matar Sarr.

Regardless, Tottenham Hotspur need their players fit and with Maddison set for a return this weekend, it will be more than welcomed.

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