For all the talk in the January transfer window of a defender and a forward being required at , there was a glaring need no one was talking about.

have suffered horrendous injuries in the defence and attack with the likes of , Micky van de Ven, Destiny Udogie, Dominic Solanke, Richarlison, Brennan Johnson and Timo Werner being sidelined.

, Johan Lange and Ange Postecoglou all worked hard behind the scenes to rectify those issues with Kevin Danso joining at the back from Lens and Mathys Tel arriving from Bayern Munich just before the transfer window closed.

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The pair made their debuts in the dismal on Thursday night, with Danso one of the only players, alongside Djed Spence and Lucas Bergvall, to come out with any dignity.

That defeat, however, shone a light on a big problem Spurs have that has seemingly gone unnoticed amongst the issues at the two ends of the pitch. And that is in midfield.

While players were dropping like flied at the back and up top, the midfield has, in the main, been well stocked. had a seven-game suspension and is currently out injured, although working his way back, but there have always been options to choose from in the midfield.

But are we getting to the point where the options in there are not good enough? The midfield was non-existent against Liverpool on Thursday night and it is not the first time this season we could say that.

Yves Bissouma has been nowhere near his best this season and there is an argument that his time is up at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold said this of the Malian in his : "On his day, the Mali international is a skilful, tackling machine. On others, he's an aimless passenger with little awareness of the game around him. This was one of those nights when Spurs needed the best version of him rather than the tourist that turned up, a spectator in awe of Anfield and the occasion."

Pape Matar Sarr has been good in some games and poor in others. At 22 years old, in only his second full season in the Premier League - he played only 213 minutes of action in 2022/23 - that's hardly unsurprising.

Bentancur is a hell of a player on his day and has been probably the pick of the trio when he has played this season, but a major injury last season knocked him back and he was not the same afterwards. Suspension this season has done similarly. It has been so stop-start for him that he has not been able to get into a rhythm.

Maddison is the one to break the lines and get Spurs on the front foot, and his absence has hit hard, particularly when Dejan Kulusevski - Spurs' best player this season and the one to drive Tottenham forward - clearly needs a rest having been asked to do so much.

Lucas Bergvall has been the standout in the midfield this season so far, and that says a lot for a 19-year-old in the Premier League for the first time. You simply cannot place the weight of the midfield on his young shoulders.

Having said that, the season is almost a write-off now, bar the Europa League. Dependent on what happens in the FA Cup fourth round tie with Aston Villa on Sunday of course. I would not be averse to giving Bergvall and Archie Gray the keys to the midfield, to learn and put down their markers now ready for next season.

That's putting all your eggs in two teenagers' baskets though and it's clear Tottenham need to go out and sign an experienced, first-team ready destroyer in the midfield. The heartbeat of the team is a whimper right now and that needs to change.