Tottenham’s chaotic season was summed up in five words by Jose Mourinho after an uninspiring 1-1 draw at Burnley.
‘We didn’t have a midfield,’ said the Special One in March, referring to the performance of club record signing Tanguy Ndombele. He had hooked the former Lyon man at the interval for Giovani Lo Celso after failing to make an impact or offer any protection for the back four.
Spurs have had some great defensive midfielders across the years – Wilson Palacios was an effective presence in their first Champions League run in 2009-10, Scott Parker was fantastic playing alongside Luka Modric the following season and Victor Wanyama was a colossus in their title run of 2016-17 before his career stagnated.
Since then, the position has been a source of problems for the Lilywhites – especially in a campaign where the defence has been left ripe for the picking. Ndombele, signed for £65million, was supposed to provide the answer but it simply hasn’t worked out. So, will the arrival of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg finally plug the hole that has been gaping in Tottenham’s midfield?
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg could provide the solution Tottenham have been looking for in midfield
Jose Mourinho famously said he ‘didn’t have a midfield’ in a difficult first season at Spurs
Since the £20m signing of Southampton’s captain was confirmed, much has been made of his upbringing at Bayern Munich and comparisons with Sergio Busquets. That won’t help ease the pressure – Ndombele crumbled under it despite being tipped as a potential superstar – but the Danish midfielder does arrive as a presence and a skipper at St Mary’s.
Not your typical leader as a vocal presence who will give you an earful in the dressing room, Hojbjerg – adaptable and capable of filling in at full-back or centre-half – instead leads by example with powerful displays on the pitch.
After a man-of-the-match performance in a 2-1 win against Norwich in December, Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl said the 25-year-old showed him why he was given the armband – because of his passion and desire to give everything for the team.
The Portuguese grew frustrated with Tanguy Ndombele as he failed to offer the team an outlet
‘I think the role of the captain is sometimes discussed as a player who has to speak to the other guys in the dressing room or outside on the pitch,’ the Austrian said.
‘I’m not a fan of this behaviour because the best thing you can do as a captain is to show on the pitch that you step forward, show up and invest massively by winning balls, working for the team and being positive to every player.
‘He shows he is a leading player by giving the perfect performance, and this is an important thing.’
Spurs have lacked that edge and grit in midfield after a campaign that feels like it’s been riddled with disaster: Mauricio Pochettino sacked; slipping into mid-table; getting hit for seven by Bayern Munich; dumped out of the FA Cup by the basement side. Mourinho needs calmness in the centre – someone who will help him sleep better at night and allow his team-mates to flourish.
Hojbjerg earned the captaincy at Southampton because of his relentless displays and desire
Eric Dier was seen as a linchpin in Mourinho’s midfield but he looks better suited as a defender
When the Portuguese boss first inherited his troubled squad, many saw Eric Dier as his go-to man in central defence to break up attacks.
While the England star looked like he might have a future in midfield after putting in some top shifts under Pochettino, more and more he looks unsuited to the role. His range of passing isn’t quite what it should be and he hasn’t come alive as many expected. When he slots back into centre-back – as he has done in games during the restart – it seems like less of a square peg in a round hole.
The introduction of Hojbjerg could be just what the doctor ordered as far as Mourinho is concerned – and in truth he might just be the archetypal midfielder he has been drawn to throughout his managerial career.
Claude Makelele, Esteban Cambiasso, Sami Khedira, Nemanja Matic. Wherever he goes, he needs his anchor man in the side. He is renowned for his classic 4-3-3 formation and that player sitting at the base of the midfield gives his other two the licence to go forward. He knew that a player like Matic was so crucial to his philosophy that he signed him twice – for Chelsea and then at Manchester United.
Hojbjerg made the most ball recoveries of any Premier League player in the 2019-20 season
A solid defensive midfielder is the hallmark of a typical Jose Mourinho team and he makes it a priority to have that option – such as Nemanja Matic (centre) – at every club he’s managed
At Spurs he’s mostly deployed a 4-2-3-1 but Hojbjerg now opens doors. Play him deep and push Lo Celso and Dele Alli further forward, play him alongside Harry Winks in a two and you’ve got the perfect combination of a pace-setter and ball-winner. He could even play him with Ndombele – who would then have more freedom to bomb forward while the Dane sits in.
The stats show how effective Hojbjerg can be in this role. He had by far the most ball recoveries in the Premier League last season with 510.
Spurs fans will find it hard to forget a cringe-inducing clip of Ndombele barely bothering to track back and defend against Wolves earlier this year. The new recruit will be there ready to clean up, make tackles and set the team on their way again. We know Mourinho likes his side to hit teams on the break, so this could work well for Tottenham.
Hojbjerg became Bayern Munich’s youngest ever player in Bundesliga history after being introduced by Jupp Heynckes in 2013, and when Pep Guardiola arrived the following season his eyes glistened after spotting his potential.
Hojbjerg’s presence could allow Dele Alli (left) and Giovani Lo Celso (right) more freedom
He was tipped for big things at Bayern and was their youngest player to feature in Bundesliga
According to Marti Perarnau’s book Pep Confidential, the Spaniard was set on turning him into a world-class talent and devoted more time to him than any other youngster. Having worked with the world-class Busquets during his glorious years at Barcelona, you can forgive him for thinking he had unearthed the next one.
He played a total of 22 games under Guardiola before it was decided he would be shipped out to Schalke on loan to get some experience under his belt. When he returned, Pep had left for Manchester City.
The youngster was denied the tutelage he was after as he took the leap to the Premier League to test himself with the Saints in a £12m deal, but he remembers the valuable lessons ingrained in him by the two-time Champions League winner.
Pep Guardiola devoted a lot of time to improving the midfielder at Bayern, but he then left
The Dane has huge ambition and plays without fear, something Tottenham are crying out for
‘He’s shown me how important is is to play without fear,’ he says in Perarnau’s book.
‘Just to get on with playing whether you’re up against Xabi Alonso or a complete amateur. Play with courage and without fear, and “show some balls”, as Pep puts it.
‘When you’re young you can be a bit hesitant about things, but that gets you nowhere. You have to give everything if you want to improve. Pep has insisted that I let go of any anxiety or hesitancy when I play.’
Tottenham’s club motto is ‘To Dare is To Do’. Hojbjerg’s mentality encaptures that saying and he’s the kind of player fan gets off their seats for.
Hojbjerg is not the finished article and has work to do if he wants to flourish in north London
His four-year stint in Southampton might have ended acrimoniously as he was stripped of the captaincy after expressing a desire to leave the club, but there is no doubting his ambition. It’s something Tottenham are in desperate need of.
After completing his move, Hojbjerg said there was ‘no better place to become a world-class player’. If this doesn’t work out, the comparisons to Busquets will be used as ammunition by rival fans.
He won’t walk into the team and he isn’t the finished product, but if he works hard he could fill a void that has been missing for years in N17. The player himself is the first to admit that.
‘I’m just so happy and it feels – I don’t want to say perfect because nothing is perfect – but it feels right. I feel I have something to give and I also feel that the club has so much for me to learn from to become better.’