Postecoglou may have found Tottenham’s new Serge Aurier in error-prone dud

For all the genuinely brilliant players Tottenham Hotspur have been blessed with over the years, they have also dealt with their fair share of duds.

The likes of Vincent Janssen, Roberto Soldado and Tanguy Ndombele all moved to N17 to plenty of excitement, and each failed to deliver.

However, when it comes to recent problem players for the Lilywhites, it’s hard to look past full-back Serge Aurier.

So, it’s unfortunate that Ange Postecoglou may have already found his own version of the Ivorian international.

Aurier’s Spurs career

Following the sale of Kyle Walker to Manchester City, Spurs needed a new full-back in the summer of 2017 and opted to pay Paris Saint-Germain £23m to secure the services of their trouble-making defender, Aurier.

Now, while it was obviously a mistake in hindsight, there was a belief that the North Londoners were getting an incredibly talented replacement, as in 32 appearances across the prior campaign, he provided five assists, equating to a reasonably impressive return – for a defender – of one every 6.4 games.

However, any hopes that the Lilywhites would be able to get the good without the bad from the Ouragahio-born ace were almost immediately shattered, as he managed to get himself sent off in his first Premier League start for the club.

It would be two years before the Ivorian would be sent off for a second time, but across his first two seasons, he built up a somewhat deserved reputation for being an “erratic” defender, per Spurs icon Teddy Sheringham.

So, when he gave away the free-kick that led to Manchester City’s goal in the 2021 EFL Cup final, it was the final straw.

That summer saw his contract terminated by mutual consent, but not before Jamie Carragher could tear into him on Sky Sports, describing him as “one of the biggest liabilities in Premier League football.”

In all, while Aurier had the talent, his inability to stay out of trouble and not throw away games due to silly mistakes meant his time in North London was a failure, so it’s a little worrying that Postecoglou could have already signed a player who could become his own version of him.

Postecoglou’s own Aurier

So, of the players signed by Postecoglou since last summer, it’s Romanian centre-back Radu Dragusin who seems to be at the biggest risk of becoming the Australian’s Aurier.

The first thing to say is that’s not down to any off-field controversies, nor his attitude on the pitch either, but it is down to the fact that he has made several mistakes in his short time at the club and already seems to be the scapegoat for many fans.

Starting with his mistakes then, at home against Qarabağ, he got himself sent off within 15 minutes and was luckily bailed out by his teammates; against Galatasaray, he practically gifted Victor Osimhen his first goal with a horrendous touch, and then against Bournemouth, he lost the ball in the lead up to Evanilson’s strike.

Moreover, those are just some of the standout mistakes made in the last couple of months.

Yet, for all his lapses of concentration and sloppy touches, the former Genoa ace has stepped up in moments, and considering how poorly the team has played around him, it doesn’t feel entirely justified to make him the scapegoat, which seems to be happening somewhat.

For example, on the BBC’s Football Daily podcast, former professional Nigel Reo-Coker argued that “the Premier League is a bit too much for him,” while journalist Mitch Fretton described the 22-year-old as a “horror show” for his efforts in the loss to Ipswich Town.

Ultimately, for all his talent, Dragusin has struggled at Spurs, and so long as he keeps making mistakes and being singled out, there is an ever-increasing chance he’ll become Ange’s Aurier.