Tottenham Hotspur lost 1-0 to Arsenal at home on Sunday, failing to bounce back from their 2-1 defeat against Newcastle United before the international break, and Ian Wright thinks it could be down to their failure to get the best out of Dominic Solanke.
The 27-year-old joined Spurs in the summer transfer window and has yet to score in his two Premier League appearances so far.
Solanke and Tottenham drew a blank against Arsenal, and Wright believes he has not been getting the type of service he needs to score from the wingers.
“I didn’t expect Spurs to play as tepid as they did, a lot of passing,” he said on the latest episode of Wrighty’s House.
“I was expecting balls into Solanke, linking Maddison, getting the ball wide, crosses in for Solanke to head, because that’s the type of striker Tottenham have got. They don’t seem to be using him very well at the moment.
“When you look at the chances that Ollie Watkins got, I think those are the kind of chances that Dominic Solanke probably needs now. Because every chance I’ve seen him have up to this point, where he’s got to manufacture it so it’s coming, he’s got to get the touch right, he doesn’t get the shot off for some reason, or he’s making the wrong decisions. When I saw him against Leicester (City), you know, he’s got so much time and he’s blasting it straight at the keeper just because he wants to get it done.
“Instead of getting cold in the moment, like Dennis Bergkamp would say, you have to be cold in that moment. He would say that to us – you what I mean about going into a place of just like calm, you know what I mean?
“He had more than enough time to take that ball and on his left foot and get the shot away. He didn’t even get the shot away. That’s what worries me with him, I think he’s thinking about it too much.”
Tottenham are back in action later tonight in the Carabao Cup when they face Coventry City before hosting Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday, and manager Ange Postecoglou will be desperate to return to winning ways.
They will need to play to the strengths of their new striker if they are to finish in the top-four and win silverware this term, and the Spurs boss has to work on that.
