Tottenham Hotspur once again find themselves in a position where they need to bounce back and make amends for a disappointing defeat.
Spurs, who can hammer the likes of Manchester City and Manchester United with ease, are also losing to the likes of Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town.
On Thursday, Tottenham fell to a 1-0 defeat at Bournemouth which was more one-sided than the score suggested.
Spurs were also forced into a difficult position when Ben Davies came off with a hamstring injury, leaving them with one fit senior centre-back.
As a result, Ange Postecoglou moved Archie Gray from right-back to centre-back during the match.
This decision led to criticism by fans, who said the decision to shift Gray to centre-back showed a lack of foresight in the summer transfer window.
Postecoglou, speaking at his pre-match presser ahead of Sunday’s Premier League meeting with Chelsea, spoke about his decision to move Gray to centre-back.
READ MORE: Tottenham’s stance on Ange Postecoglou future amid calls for him to be sacked
Playing at centre-back will make Archie Gray a ‘better player’
Postecoglou told football.london that, while Gray had a lot to deal with on Thursday, it’ll make him a better and stronger player in the long run.
“He’ll be better for it,” said Postecoglou. “It was a good experience for him.
“It wasn’t easy, it was tough, particularly when we put him at centre-back but it will do him the world of good, make him a better player and a stronger personality for our football club.”
What Gray has said about playing in defence
Earlier this season, Gray revealed that he is happy to play wherever he is asked by Postecoglou.
The teenager also claimed that Spurs’ players need to be versatile anyway, given the way the manager sets his team up.
“I’ve said the same thing every time, I honestly don’t care which position I play,” he said on BBC Sounds.
“You can stick me anywhere – but maybe not goalkeeper! I’d enjoy every position just because, like I said, I enjoy playing football and love every minute that I play.
“I think in the system we play you’ve almost got to play in loads of different positions and the way we play you’re almost always in different positions during the game, which the structure we create.
“You’ve always got the freedom to express yourself in a disciplined way and sometimes it does force you into different positions which is why everyone doesn’t really care what positions they are in, just as long as they can get the ball and enjoy the game.”
With Davies reportedly facing between two and six weeks on the sidelines, Gray may well be asked to cover more often at centre-back.
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