Tottenham have had mixed reviews recently under new manager Thomas Frank, but Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp has been impressed with Kevin Danso’s performance on the pitch.
Spurs were eliminated from the Carabao Cup after losing 2-0 to Newcastle at St James’ Park on Wednesday night.
Spurs looked second best throughout the contest as Newcastle capitalized on their chances and progressed to the next round at the expense of Tottenham, while fielding a weakened team reflecting the pressure of a congested fixture list.
Frank made some changes to the regular Premier League line-up, resting key players and giving members of the fringe team a chance to impress.
Tottenham struggled to assert themselves, with Newcastle dominating the midfield and not allowing Spurs consistent possession. It was clear that the visiting team were unable to get their attacking players involved and created very few genuine chances.
Tottenham absentee list | problem | Expected return date |
|---|---|---|
Dejan Kulusevski | knees | 2025/11/22 |
james madison | ACL | 2026/01/06 |
Radu Dragushin | knees | 2025/11/22 |
ben davis | thigh | 2025/11/23 |
Kota Takai | ankle/foot | August 11, 2025 |
Eve Bissouma | ankle/foot | August 11, 2025 |
Wilson Odbert | abdomen | November 1, 2025 |
Christian Romero | between legs | November 1, 2025 |
Destiny Udogie | knees | August 11, 2025 |
Dominic Solanke | ankle | August 11, 2025 |
archie gray | calf/shin/heel | June 11, 2025 |
via premier injury | ||
Stand-in keeper Antonin Kinski was also heavily criticized for a mistake that led to Nick Woltemade’s first goal of the game and Newcastle’s second, before defender Fabian Schaal opened the scoring in what was a classic win for the Magpies.
It has at least been suggested that Guglielmo Vicario missed Spurs’ trip to the north-east with a minor injury, but Frank confirmed the keeper will be ready for this weekend’s London derby against Chelsea.
“He had more work to do,” Frank said.
“He will be ready for Chelsea.”
It is currently unclear whether Cristian Romero will return from his groin injury in time for Saturday’s home match against Chelsea, meaning Danso is likely to partner Micky van de Ven again.
Jamie Redknapp talks about witnessing Kevin Danso’s actions at Tottenham
The pair were excellent against Everton last weekend, with Van de Ven in particular scoring twice from set-pieces as Tottenham became the first away team to win at the new Hill Dickinson Stadium.
vs everton | Kevin Danso | mickey van de ven |
|---|---|---|
minutes | 90 | 90 |
tackle win | 1/1 | 0/0 |
clearance | 18 | 7 |
blocked shot | 2 | 0 |
Number of balls collected | 3 | 2 |
Won a ground duel | 2/2 | 1/2 |
won an aerial battle | 4/4 | 1/4 |
Statistics by Sofascore | ||
However, Frank was also quick to highlight Danso’s contribution, saying the Austrian was “less emphasized” but equally deserving of praise.
“Don’t forget Kevin Danso. Maybe he didn’t get as much attention as the other two (Van de Ven and Vicario), but he took a very big step to fill in for Kuti and did very well,” said Frank after the win against David Moyes’ team.
“Mickey, the man of the match, obviously defended well, scored two goals and controlled the ball well. And I think Vicario, Monaco’s man of the match, too, but I think his performance today was more complete, he used his feet well, he moved well in the box and he made two outstanding saves.”
Just before Tottenham’s defeat to Newcastle, Sky Sports pundit Redknapp had good things to say about the January signing, who was made permanent for £21m in the summer.
Redknapp said in an interview with Sky Studios that Danso’s performance in Romero’s absence was “very impressive”, with pundits claiming he had seen Danso become a more “vocal” presence on the field.
In addition to this, Redknapp was quick to point out that he could emerge as Spurs’ ‘leader’.
The 27-year-old was thought to be close to a move to Wolves until Tottenham snatched a last-minute deal last January.
With Spurs now in the Champions League after a 17-year wait for a silver medal and Wolves firmly planted at the foot of the table, Danso will also be happy to impress every time he is called upon.
This was an astute signing by former chairman Daniel Levy, providing new manager Frank with important and capable centre-back cover.
