OPINION
This hasn’t been Kieran Trippier’s season. He even admitted as much himself when he was talking to the BBC back in March. He said then that he could “do so much better” but he hasn’t shown any evidence of that so far.
He was exposed again in the Champions League last night – brutally so for Raheem Sterling’s second goal of the night. Trippier let him come inside and curl a shot into the corner of the net. It was a wonderful finish but Sterling should never have been given the space.
This is pretty basic stuff but it could have had a catastrophic effect on Tottenham’s season.
Trippier is a talented player. Maybe more so going forward than in defence, but his prolonged run of poor form begs one question. How long can Mauricio Pochettino put up with it? You can excuse players a few off games, but it’s a lot harder to justify keeping hold of a player after a bad season.
Tottenham will surely spend money this summer. And if you think back to the days when Kyle Walker was marauding down the right flank, even the biggest Trippier fans would have to admit that the side has gone backwards.
Pochettino might well have to sell to rebuild his squad and Trippier – under contract until 2022 – would fetch a hefty fee. And that money could be ploughed back into the squad, with a world-class right-back near the top of the list.
Serge Aurier isn’t the answer and Pochettino doesn’t seem to trust Kyle Walker-Peters. After last night, though, Trippier’s race is surely run in north London and he should be moved on in the summer.