Eric Dier endured a terrible display as Tottenham Hotspur drew 1-1 with Middlesbrough in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday.
On the chalkboard
The 25-year-old played in central defence against the Championship side, alongside Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen.
He made a severe error in the second-half, playing Boro striker Ashley Fletcher onside before his opening goal at the Riverside Stadium.
The England international touched the ball 85 times throughout the game but won just one tackle and made two clearances. While Dier also made one interception, this was a performance that was characterised by anonymity.
His inability to provide a key pass or complete a dribble saw him regularly look to play the easy pass and his mistake, leading to Fletcher’s goal, was decisive.
He was actually looking down the line and could have stepped up, rendering the former Manchester United man offside, but his decision not to left Spurs a goal down and chasing the game.
The big fat Tottenham quiz of 2019 – how much do you remember about the last year at Spurs?
Finished
Dier is a midfielder.
But even then, he seems to be finished as a top-level player.
He has averaged a WhoScored rating of just 6.63 in the Premier League under both Mauricio Pochettino and Jose Mourinho and has struggled with injuries throughout his Spurs career.
Per Transfermarkt, he has missed 25 games since the 2016/17 season and his injuries have robbed him of a turn of pace that is required in the Premier League.
That isn’t really his fault but this is an issue for Jose Mourinho.
He wanted to sign him when he was manager of Manchester United but this is a remarkably different player now.
He needs to be out of the team for good; it doesn’t feel like he is even close to having the required attributes to be a starter in this Spurs team.
Meanwhile, Spurs fans have savaged one man.