Ange Postecoglou reveals why Archie Gray has not been playing for Tottenham
Ange Postecoglou has shed light on Archie Gray’s recent lack of game time at Tottenham, after the youngster’s minutes took a noticeable dip following the return to full fitness of a few Spurs stars.
Earlier this season, a serious injury crisis hit the Tottenham Hotspur camp, which left as many as 12 players sidelined with injuries.
The club’s two centre-backs, Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, alongside back-up option Ben Davies, were among those unavailable.
This forced Tottenham to rely on makeshift solutions. Archie Gray, a midfielder by trade, was shifted into defence and played plenty of games as a makeshift centre-back.
| Played as… | Apperances |
|---|---|
| Centre-back | 19 |
| Right-back | 8 |
| Left-back | 5 |
| Defensive midfield | 3 |
Archie Gray’s reduced Tottenham minutes explained by Ange Postecoglou
However, the injury crisis has since eased, with several of Tottenham’s key players returning to full fitness.
That’s also led to a reduction in Gray’s minutes, with Postecoglou now opting for natural centre-backs in defence and Lucas Bergvall in midfield.
Asked why Gray’s game time has dropped recently, Postecoglou told football.london it was down to giving others a chance to build their sharpness.
He said: “I guess with all these things, people just look at them in a moment of time. I think if you’d said at the start of the season that Lucas, Archie and Mikey Moore would have played as much as they have I’d have said it was impossible.
“We’ve got a real clear focus of where we need to be for the remainder of the season and players need to be in a good condition and Archie is in a really good condition so others have needed minutes.
“There’s no doubt that Archie will play a really significant role for us in the remainder of this season.”
Spurs fans question midfield role for Gray
Several Tottenham fans have called for Gray to at least be played in his preferred role, especially as Yves Bissouma’s form has dipped.
However, midfield appearances have been scarce and that could be down to Gray not having racked up many minutes there this season, unlike Bergvall who’s looked more settled in that role.
Still, with how young and versatile the player is, Tottenham undoubtedly have a real talent on their hands – a talent already recognised when Gray won the Young Player of the Year award at the London awards earlier this season.
Tottenham are also interested in signing Archie’s little brother Harry Gray from Leeds United this summer.
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