Tottenham Hotspur are a team seemingly unstoppable this season, having taken to life under Ange Postecoglou with remarkable ease.
They remain one of just two teams who are still undefeated in the Premier League, and have fine results against Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United under their belts to show for such fine form. It is outstanding the speed with which a feel-good factor has returned to N17, with this tenure promising to surpass even Mauricio Pochettino's, should it be maintained.
Not only are the tactics refreshing and forward-thinking, but the positivity they command is visible from the stands and onto the pitch. However, this has also largely been aided by some truly outstanding performances, two of which are coming from summer acquisitions in James Maddison and Micky van de Ven. Indeed, the former already has five assists in his first nine games for the club.
Starring at opposite ends of the field, it is equally impressive to see how the likes of Yves Bissouma and Destiny Udogie have become mainstays, as stars left behind from previous regimes now poised to shine for the new one.
On the surface, Spurs is a perfect, faultless place to play football at the moment. However, there are a few stragglers who are perhaps hanging on by a thread, seeking to reignite their stuttering careers by simply being around such unbridled positivity. Step forward Hugo Lloris.
Why is Hugo Lloris not playing?
When viewing the squad, there are a few duds who stand out as players who are perhaps overstaying their welcome in north London, in light of the refreshing revolution.
For example, the likes of Eric Dier and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg were two players consistently linked with departures throughout the summer and yet remain on the books, both far from the starting side.
They were previously mainstays of the first XI under the likes of Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, but with the brand of football being implemented, are being left behind. It could be argued that the same is certainly true of Lloris, who was another who probably should have left over the summer.
Having enjoyed 11 successful years in N17, growing into a fine shot-stopper and a regular for the French national team, the 36-year-old had accomplished all there was to do without actually claiming silverware with his club side.
However, as Postecoglou sought to usher in a new era, even sanctioning Harry Kane's exit, it seemed the perfect time to truly expunge the old guard. Especially with how tough a year the 145-cap ace had endured under Conte, with the goalkeeper completely devoid of confidence, and seemingly making high-profile errors every other week.
Making just 25 starts in the Premier League, the former Lyon man would keep just seven clean sheets and was present for the majority of a campaign which saw them ship 63 goals across the 38 games.
To make matters worse, he would make four errors that directly led to goals, whilst only managing a disappointing save percentage of 67%, via Sofascore.
Former Celtic star Chris Sutton would lambast Lloris' torrid campaign, writing for the Daily Mail: "There can be no disputing Lloris has been a brilliant goalkeeper and there is a real pressure that comes with being the person between the sticks. But there can also be no denying he has turned into a liability."
This was a notion supported by The Athletic's James Maw, who had suggested even as far back as 2019: "Hugo Lloris in a big game, yet again. The guy is a liability."
Postecoglou was clearly aware of this decline, making Guglielmo Vicario one of his first acquisitions following his appointment. As such, the ageing stopper has fallen dramatically down the pecking order, and is actually yet to make a single appearance in any competition this term.
For all the rumours surrounding his potential move to Italy, with Newcastle United even reportedly making a late move for him on Deadline Day, sticking in north London has stagnated the twilight of his career, whilst he continues to drain Spurs of precious funds.
How much did Spurs pay for Hugo Lloris?
It is a shame to see such a fine legacy be tarnished, but recency bias is certainly a thing, and it will likely take years before fans can properly separate that terrible year from the admirable 11 years of service he has given to the club.
Appearances
25
8
Average Rating
6.80
7.31
Saves per game
3.2
3.6
Save Percentage
67%
78%
Errors Leading to Goals
4
0
After all, he has been a true servant to the club ever since his 2012 move, which has since become a huge coup.
Especially given the fact that he has gone on to feature 444 times for the club, the £13m initially paid marks a mere drop in the ocean compared to the return gathered.
How much does Hugo Lloris earn?
However, whilst that fee was a fine piece of business, the subsequent wages he has accumulated have certainly racked up a healthy outlay for the Lilywhites, made even tougher to take given how poor Lloris was last season.
In fact, with the Frenchman sitting on his £100k-per-week wages and failing to even make it into the matchday squad, it is actually astounding the rate at which he has gone from a cult hero to a man the hierarchy will be desperate to get off their books.
It is worth noting that his wage did sit at an initial £80k-per-week until he earned his contract extension in 2016.
Does Hugo Lloris deserve to earn £100k-per-week?
Whilst the 6 foot 2 ace might have been good value for such a salary two years ago, to be offloading that much nowadays for a player who does not even play is criminal.
Especially given how Daniel Levy has gained a reputation for being a shrewd businessman, to allow such a blatant waste of funds marks a gross piece of mismanagement on his part.
Fortunately, the 'keeper's contract is set to expire at the conclusion of this year. However, unless he is to make a January exit, that will mean an entire year of paying someone who is offering nothing to the club. To make matters worse, he actually remains one of their higher-earners, with only the likes of Maddison, Heung-min Son and three others earning more.
Stars such as Pedro Porro, Bissouma, Van de Ven and even his replacement Vicario have to watch him snag a far higher wage, whilst not even providing a fraction of what they have offered to kickstart the new season.