‘That’s very mean’… Chris Sutton criticised for what he’s said about Eric Dier on live radio last night

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Chris Sutton has been criticised after some ‘harsh’ comments on former Tottenham Hotspur defender Eric Dier.

Spurs offloaded Eric Dier during the January transfer window after snapping up Radu Dragusin.

It’s fair to say that Dier was never particularly favoured under Ange Postecoglou as he managed just four league appearances before joining Bayern Munich in January.

Even in Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven’s absence, Postecoglou favoured playing both Emerson Royal and Ben Davies at centre-back over the Englishman.

And Chris Sutton has explained why he believes Dier simply wasn’t suited to Postecoglou’s demands, which led to criticism on BBC Radio 5 Live on Monday evening. 

Sutton criticised after Dier comments

Speaking on The Monday Night Club, Sutton reacted after being told that Spurs have the fourth-highest defensive line in the league this season – behind Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool. 

“That’s where the pace thing is really important in being an all-rounder in 1v1 situations, you only have to look at what happened to Eric Dier, who I think we’d all agree is a decent defender in the right system,” Sutton said.

“But playing a high line with someone who turns like a ferry isn’t ideal and that’s why Van de Ven is in there with Romero.”

“That’s very mean Chris, very mean,” journalist Rory Smith responded.

Host Mark Chapman agreed: “I thought that was very mean as well.”

“He’s not quick, that’s my point so maybe I was slightly harsh but that’s the way they play,” Sutton admitted. 

While Sutton’s ‘turns like a ferry’ comments may seem a bit harsh, they aren’t exactly far from the truth. 

We have seen that Dier can perform as a centre-back in a system which suits his game. But the 30-year-old didn’t have the required athleticism to play in a Postecoglou side. 

Nevertheless, the centre-back seems to be doing well in Germany after leaving Tottenham.

Dier is the only player in the Bundesliga who’s played more than 500 minutes and is yet to be dribbled past. With Thomas Tuchel favouring a more pragmatic approach, it’s no real surprise that Dier is finding things easier after swapping Hotspur Way for Munich.