Kieran Trippier: Is He Any Good?
Following an impressive ever-present season with Burnley, your natural instinct is to imagine that Kieran Trippier is a little narked about how his career at Tottenham is unfolding so far. He’s not clocked a single minute of League action since his arrival in mid-June and doesn’t look like dislodging Kyle Walker as Spurs’ first-choice right-back any time soon. To recap: not one appearance.
There’s minor roles in an ensemble cast and then there’s landing the part as one of Lady Macduff’s servants. You’re technically in the thing but no-one would notice too much if you weren’t there.
You just have to keep your head down, mumble a line or two about fetching some more mead, and generally try not to get brutally murdered.
Oh, it says here that all of Lady Macduff’s servants do get brutally murdered .
Well that is a shame.
Still, if Trippier is unhappy with life at Tottenham, he’s doing a fine job of keeping his ire repressed. Here he is, talking to the Guardian last week, with all the deep-seated rage of a scented candle:
“As soon as Tottenham came in for me, I wanted to sign. Maybe I could have gone somewhere else with less competition but me and Kyle are good mates, and we are both trying our best to get that position.”
“I’m looking forward to playing in the Premier League and making sure that when I get my chance, I take it”
So far, so reasonable. The problem at the moment, however, is that when those chances have arrived for Trippier, as one did last night in Spurs’ sagging Europa League defeat to Anderlecht, he’s failed to profit from the occasion.
Up to the end of March this year, the former Burnley man had created as many chances as Mesut Özil in the Premier League, but on last night’s evidence, it’s that all important detail of defending that appears to be his handicap. An unhelpful foible for someone in his line of work.
A continuing theme of his evening against Anderlecht was being caught pants down and flat-footed when balls were played on his inside; he also looked alarmingly ill-equipped to deal with anyone running at him.
Ultimately, the Belgian side’s second goal was a result of Trippier being out of position while a neat but fairly routine through-ball was fed inside to Acheampong, who slipped in the Stefano Okaka for the eventual winner.
Sadly, this isn’t this first occasion in which Trippier has been exposed. For the third Europa League group game in a row now, he’s been directly involved in an opposition goal. The penalty concession against Quarabag was a particular lowlight for him.
It’s a shame because, although he’s been a stronghold in Spurs’ excellent defence this season, Kyle Walker is far from impervious to the odd costly flub. A bit of stern competition would’ve done him the power of good. For now, though, Trippier will have to make-do with being an understudy. He might have to remain patient a little while longer yet.
