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The case for Maddison

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[BBC]
James Maddison
[Getty Images]

We asked for your views on midfielder James Maddison after he was replaced by Pape Sarr at half time against West Ham on Saturday.

Is Tottenham's vice-captain no longer an automatic starter?

Tristen: If you have watched Madders this season then you would agree with me that this question isn’t worth entertaining. We need him and Dejan Kulusevki pulling the strings in midfield and then one defensive midfielder. Sometimes against tougher teams, we might need two defensive midfielders. It’s called squad rotation and competition for the starting XI.

Ben: So it’s gone from surprise that Maddison was not picked for the latest England camp to should we drop him in a very short space of time. I think people are getting a bit carried away. I think the bigger talking point - and a good one at that - was Ange Postecoglou's decision to have a bit of tactical flexibility and bring Sarr into the match at half-time.

Matt: Definitely not - he is a very talented player. What he brings us far outweighs the negatives. Last season he was the first name on the team sheet when fit. All players go through a dip in form, he will come good again, a couple of assists or a goal or two and he will be right back in business.

Tom: It is not a matter of whether Spurs are better or not with or without Maddison, but a matter of different profiles of player. Maddison produced the most amount of chances in 45 minutes ever for Spurs against West Ham but Sarr brought more energy and legs, which was required in that game. More a matter of rotation than quality.

Luke: In my opinion, this really depends on the opposition. Maddison has some excellent traits that are better suited for certain games. He can drop deep and take the ball and progress the play through his passing range. Sometimes however we need more energy and a physical presence which he is not as suited for. At the end of the day we need both options.