With goals from Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro in the second half, Spurs defeated Nuno Espirito Santo’s team 3-1 on Sunday, April 7, moving them up over Aston Villa and back into the top four of the Premier League.
The Forest manager believed that Postecoglou’s team should have been down to 10 men after Maddison was involved in an altercation with Ryan Yates in the first half, where it appeared that the England international struck the midfielder.
Although Hutton feels that Postecoglou should work on calming down Maddison, he acknowledges that the 27-year-old’s “aggressive” style is what makes him such a formidable presence in the current Spurs side.
“I think it’s just frustration, to be honest with you,” Hutton explained to Tottenham News. “He’s that kind of player who always wants the ball, and he often finds himself on the receiving end of these sorts of niggly fouls, which can be challenging for him. I don’t believe you can remove that aspect from his game, as it would fundamentally alter his playing style.”
“We discussed it when [Alfredo] Morelos displayed similar behavior at Rangers; he played with that edge. While Morelos may have been a bit more extreme than Maddison, I believe they both benefit from having that level of aggression in their game. Can you have a conversation with him about it? Definitely. However, you still want them to maintain that competitive edge and aggressiveness in everything they do.”
“You understand that these players are playmakers; everything revolves around them, and you need to disrupt their flow. So, as a player, you would naturally become frustrated with the constant fouls aimed at stopping them.”
“You find yourself unable to turn, unable to make the passes you want because you’re constantly being impeded, and all sorts of things are happening. However, I believe sometimes you have to control your frustration, even though it’s challenging.”
Will Tottenham and James Maddison qualify for the Champions League under Ange Postecoglou?
As Hutton suggests, it’s Maddison’s aggressive edge that sets him apart from many other midfielders in the Premier League. The Englishman is unafraid to engage with defenders both on and off the ball.
However, he needs to be discerning about when and where to engage with players, as his lapses in judgment could prove costly for his team in the race for the top four. He may have gotten away with it against Forest, but he might not be as fortunate next time.
Hopefully, the 27-year-old will have learned from his mistakes following Sunday’s victory and will avoid making similar errors in the future, as officials will be closely monitoring him from now until the end of the season.
In other Tottenham news, teams are already keeping an eye on Micky van de Ven ahead of the summer transfer window.
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