Ange Postecoglou has praised Archie Gray for his ‘solid’ performances in a less than familiar position.
Archie Gray joined Tottenham in a deal worth £40m, so there was always going to be pressure on him to perform, but he could not have anticipated what has been required of him since he arrived in the summer.
Although many expected Gray to play in Tottenham’s midfield, he has played at right-back in six of his nine appearances for Spurs. While this is a position he has not traditionally played in, he did start there often in his final season at Leeds United.
But with Spurs missing three centre-backs due to injuries, Gray has had to play at the heart of their defence. Yet he has adapted to his new role well and helped his side secure a clean sheet in their last outing against Southampton in the Premier League.
Postecoglou was asked about what he thought about Gray’s performances at centre-back in his press conference ahead of Tottenham’s Carabao Cup with Manchester United and his response will be music to the 18-year-old’s ears.
Postecoglou said (FootballLondon): “He hasn’t missed a beat, and it’s brilliant to watch.
“The rest of the lads have obviously helped him. Radu is the experienced one next to him at 22, and Destiny, 22, either side of him. That’s where we’re at in terms of the squad and all the young boys dipping in, I think it’s super exciting through a tough period for the squad where we are at from the squad perspective.
“The young guys are shouldering a big part of the load. That’s a brilliant thing for us because hopefully we get to smoother waters and we are going to be so much better equipped for what’s ahead.
“Archie has done really well, his defending has been really solid, obviously he’s got quality on the ball but the way he’s handled what we are asking him to do is a really big job not just for a one-off game. He’s handled it brilliantly.”
Since the summer transfer window, one of the biggest criticisms of Tottenham’s first-team squad is that there are not enough players who have the quality to make an impact in the starting XI at present, but this is certainly not the case with Gray.
To have already played in three different positions this season is very impressive for someone Gray’s age and once he is able to return to his favoured position, it will be exciting to watch him develop as a player.
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