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It's time for our international break tradition of rating all of the Tottenham players for the season so far and it has been a difficult one in N17
What a difference four months makes as Tottenham have tumbled down the Premier League table and their players' performances have dropped alarmingly.
football.london always rates the Spurs players for their efforts so far during each pause in the fixtures and it says a lot that the last time we did this during the previous international break in November, the north London club were third in the Premier League table. Under Thomas Frank they were unbeaten in the Champions League and through to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup while the FA Cup had not yet begun.
Four months on and Frank is gone, Tottenham are 17th in the table and just a point above the drop zone while they have exited the Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup. In short it's been an utter disaster of a campaign and Spurs face the very real danger of relegation to the Championship.
While Frank played his part and his replacement Igor Tudor has not won a match in the Premier League yet, while the hierarchy are also under fire, the players must also take their share of the blame for this stinker of a season because they have not win a match in the league since December.
We're going to rate all of the players who have played 90 minutes or more, with no appearances yet for Dejan Kulusevksi or James Maddison. We'll discuss youngsters like Calum Olusesi, Luca Williams-Barnett, Jun'ai Byfield and James Roswell but not rate them.
Here are our Spurs player ratings for the season so far, and yes we're using half marks to help us out. As usual we're rating the players against their own expectations for this season rather than against each other.
Guglielmo Vicario
Vicario has played more minutes than anyone else, appearing in 43 matches, and we now know he has been struggling with a hernia problem for months. The Italian has struggled at times, particularly with his kicking, but he's also made some huge saves. It's worth noting though that Vicario has been left so exposed and only Burnley's Martin Dubravka and Bournemouth's Dorde Petrovic have faced more shots on target in the Premier League than Vicario's 131. However, the Italy international ranks 21st among the 23 goalkeepers used in the league this season for his save percentage with just 63.4 per cent. Vicario is expected to miss very little time after his surgery last week so we'll know just how much difference him being full fit makes. 5.5
Antonin Kinsky
Unfortunately, only one of the Czech keeper's three matches this season will be remembered and that's the 17 minutes in Madrid after the two Carabao Cup appearances, the second of which he had also made of mess of with Newcastle's second goal. It was a disaster in the Champions League unfortunately, there's no getting away from it, and the 23-year-old will need to bounce back from it. 2
Pedro Porro
The Spaniard has played the third most minutes of the season among the squad, contributing six assists and that first leg goal at Atletico. His defending though has not be great at times, particularly with one-vs-one performances against a string of wingers. He gets more stick than he deserves though for the rest of his game and he certainly cares about the club, but his displays have been such a mixed bag. 5.5
Djed Spence
It started well with his penitentiary stocked full of wingers but as the months wore on Spence seemed to get himself locked behind his own bars. He's a better one-vs-one defender than Porro, but his concentration and tracking back can be hit and miss as a frustrated Thomas Tuchel found on Friday night. Unlike his Spanish counterpart, Spence contributes very little going forward with wayward crossing, not helped by having little confidence in his left foot. No assists or goals in his 38 appearances so far this season. 5.5
Destiny Udogie
The Italian has had a season obliterated by injuries to his knee and hamstring. He's played in just 14 of the club's 31 Premier League games, getting the one assist. Hopefully like last season he has a strong end to the campaign. 4.5
Souza
The Brazilian just about sneaks into the rating category as he's played 144 minutes across four appearances. He was bright at Liverpool in an unexpected right wing role, albeit only touching the ball nine times at Anfield. Very lightweight and needs plenty of adaptation with not much to go on yet, but there are high hopes for the teenager. 5
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Cristian Romero
The new Tottenham captain led by example at the start of the season, fresh from that new contract, and has a remarkable 10 goal involvements as a centre-back in 31 matches with huge performances at Newcastle and in Europe particularly. However, leading by example fizzled out with four suspensions this season and his play has become erratic, with his lacklustre defending against Forest spotted by everyone. If he doesn't grab hold of this Spurs team then he will have a relegation to his name alongside all of those international trophies and the Europa League. 6.5
Micky van de Ven
Again it started so well as the Dutchman added goals to his game - seven of them - and as importantly availability, as he's played more minutes (3,313) than any other outfield Spurs player. By his own admission though, his levels have dropped and he's looked all over the place in some games in recent months. Getting taken off at half-time in the defeat to Forest, while it was a poor decision, summed up recent months for Van de Ven. 6.5
Jun'ai Byfield
A big season for the 17-year-old as he made his Champions League and Premier League debuts and did not look out of place at all. Some back issues caused by growing pains have meant a pause to proceedings but this season has been a big one for Byfield. N/A
Kevin Danso
The Austria international has been called up 29 times this season around a toe injury last month and he's battled away for the team and put in some strong performances. He also had those powerful long throws. Danso has been a very able back-up to Romero and Van de Ven and he's pushed his claims to start over them at times. Some might not like that he's getting the same rating as those two players, but remember this is about expectations for this season rather than comparing players. No current senior player at Spurs has as high a points per game total this season than Danso (1.45). 6.5
James Rowswell
A Premier League debut for the big 19-year-old and he did well in his couple of minutes on the pitch at Anfield, helping slow down a last-gasp Liverpool break. He will be hoping for further chances. N/A
Radu Dragusin
Back in action in December after his ACL injury and the Romanian has made nine appearances since. He still looks mostly like a player trying to regain his sharpness after so long out which is understandable. 4.5
Joao Palhinha
Started the season like a freight train and one of the bargains of the summer transfer window, with important strikes at Manchester City, against Wolves and that acrobatic effort against Doncaster in particular. Since then it hasn't quite worked out for the 30-year-old as he started to lose his starting spot, then had to fill in at centre-back before getting concussed in Madrid. Still though, the Portuguese has notched five goals and three assists for a defensive midfielder and it still feels like he could have a part to play in the remainder of the campaign. 6.5
Rodrigo Bentancur
Another one to get a new contract, the Uruguayan was inconsistent before his serious hamstring injury in January. At times, he was key with his composure on the ball, at other times that composure vanished and he put Spurs in trouble. Another long injury-enforced rest for him in recent months and he needs to come back fighting for Tottenham and to be sharp for the World Cup. 5
Lucas Bergvall
Another season of development and ankle injury frustration for the young Swede, who started off playing in a more advanced number 10 role than he was last season. He's contributed one goal and four assists, while also forcing the Villarreal own goal that ended up being the winner that night. It's easy to forget Bergvall is still only 20 because he's played 73 times already for the club. Back after a two-month lay-off and he needs to regain his sharpness to contribute in the run-in. 6
Pape Matar Sarr
A mixed season for the Senegal international with two goals and three assists from the midfield and some energetic all-action displays, but also some underwhelming performances. Missed the middle chunk of the season due to the Africa Cup of Nations and it's been a stop-start campaign for the 23-year-old. 5.5
Archie Gray
One of the positive lights of Tottenham's troubled season. Gray, who only stopped being a teenager this month, has already hit 78 appearances for the club and he's played here, there and everywhere for the team. He's had to drive on more experienced team-mates in numerous matches from whatever part of the pitch he's been in and has contributed two goals and three assists, the same as Sarr but with more impact across the pitch. Yes, he's been caught out at times in unnatural positions like left-back, but Gray will be the future of this club's midfield for years to come, if they can keep him. 7
Calum Olusesi
A very composed Premier League debut and then first Champions League outing which only begged the question why the 19-year-old wasn't trusted before. N/A
Yves Bissouma
Back in from the cold and a knee injury before playing eight Premier League matches only to then return to the land of injury with a muscle problem. Little moments but nothing much on display to scream that he has to play. 4
Conor Gallagher
Gallagher has made 11 appearances for Spurs since arriving in January and there's no getting away from the fact that he's been a huge disappointment so far. Whether that's fitting into a struggling team, playing on the right wing on a couple of occasions or just trying to get back up to speed with the Premier League, the 26-year-old has not justified his arrival yet. His best moment was the run and cross for Solanke's scorpion kick goal against City, which technically was behind the striker, but he just hasn't really shown anything yet. 3
Xavi Simons
The Dutchman has not been helped by having two head coaches who have not seemed to truly trust him. Yet Tottenham need Xavi on the pitch to create because his stats in that department are far ahead of the rest. He should have more than his four goals and five assists but it's not the worst return for a 22-year-old in his first months in a new league and country, and in a poor team, with the natural inconsistency his situation brings. There's much more to come from Xavi. Hopefully Spurs get to see it. 6.5
Wilson Odobert
We may not see Odobert until 2027 after his ACL injury and that came in a season when the 21-year-old looked to be finding his feet at the club with two goals and three assists, two of them coming against Dortmund in the Champions League. Some promising games but he now has a long time out ahead to deal with. 6
Mohammed Kudus
Spurs' player of the season until he was run into the ground and then injured in January. Kudus had racked up six assists and three goals from 26 matches and there felt more to come. So much strength and trickery although he had started to run into dead ends as the team began to give the ball to him at all times. If the 25-year-old had been fit in recent months though, Tottenham would not be in the position they find themselves now. Hopefully he can find his sharpness quickly when he returns in the coming weeks. 7.5
Brennan Johnson
Last season's top scorer, Johnson had three goals and an assist before he was told he was surplus to Frank's plans. He managed that without particularly being in good form when he got minutes here and there. Another who probably would have scored the goals to get Spurs away from this mess had he not been sold when he was. Strange fact for you - no senior player at Spurs has as high a points per game total than Johnson (1.50) while he was at the north London club this season which perhaps says it all. 5
Luca Williams-Barnett
A bright debut from the bench for the 17-year-old against Doncaster and he's the only Tottenham player to have tasted 100% success from their first team appearances, albeit just the one. N/A
Mathys Tel
The 20-year-old always gives his all and has been a rare attacking threat for Spurs down the wing in recent weeks. He should have more than his three goals and one assist, albeit he hasn't had many minutes in which to do so. The Frenchman's age shows sometimes with his decision-making in key moments but he's a fighter and a dribbler, both of which attributes Tottenham need. Has shown real mental strength with the decisions twice going against him in the Champions League squad. 5.5
Dominic Solanke
That ankle injury wiped out so much of his season and he's still trying to find his sharpness. Six goals in 15 Premier League and Champions League games, including scoring in three successive games in the latter competition. He will want more in the final two months of the season and his bright England display against Uruguay earned him the chance to stay with Tuchel's squad and should boost his confidence for the run-in. Yet this is nowhere near the season Solanke expected after getting 24 goal involvements last time out. 5.5
Dane Scarlett
Five appearances for Scarlett totalling 35 minutes of action before he headed up and over the border to Hibernian. N/A
Randal Kolo Muani
There are two versions of Kolo Muani. There's the one in the Champions League with four goals and two assists in nine games and the Premier League edition with just one goal and assist which only came in the past five games despite 23 appearances in the competition. The Frenchman blows hot and cold and can look lethal one moment and disinterested the next. 6
Richarlison
Other than a month out with a hamstring injury, the Brazilian has been there for Tottenham with 10 goals and four assists. He's got a goal involvement in almost every other game across his 33 Premier League and Champions League appearances this season. He can look lumbering occasionally on a pitch but he's contributing a fair amount of the time and the kind of player you want fighting for you in a relegation battle. 7.5
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