Writing for English newspaper The Guardian, Zonal Marking website editor Michael Cox reserved special praise for the role of Sandro in Tottenham’s 3-1 victory over Reading on Saturday.
Sandro, 23, lined-up in midfield alongside summer signings Moussa Dembélé and Gylfi Sigurdsson in midfield, with Sandro taking on a more adventurous role in a midfield that showed instant familiarity.
Cox wrote of the Brazilian: “Sandro played a very important role, helping to overload and surprise Reading in two different zones. First, when Brad Friedel played the ball out from the back, the Brazilian would drop deep between the centre-backs to create a three-versus-two situation… Second, as Spurs tried to work the ball into the final third, Sandro broke forward from his deep-lying position.”
In the absence of English tyro Scott Parker, Sandro has been given a run of games under new Portuguese manager André Villas-Boas at the start of this season and has showed his undoubted quality to put himself in a strong position to keep Parker out the team on his return.
