Kris Wallace from the Gallowgate Shots YouTube channel recently featured as a guest on the Last Word On Spurs podcast, previewing the Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur fixture that is set to take place on Wednesday.
During his match preview, Wallace expressed concern about the recent performances of Javier Manquillo, after the former Atletico Madrid defender struggled in recent fixtures. The Spanish defender endured a torrid time against Watford in the 2-1 defeat last weekend; earning a terrible 5.39 rating for his performance.
Here’s what the Toon fan had to say about the 26-year-old, and why he’s concerned that he could be a weak point ahead of the game against Spurs on Wednesday:
“Manquillo, being our right-back [for the] majority of the season has probably featured in most of the games in that position, and now he’s been shifted over to the left-hand side, obviously Danny Rose is normally playing there, who’s on loan from yourselves.
“Obviously, he’s not gonna be able to do this [in] this game because, [he’s playing against his] parent club, but that worries us, Manquillo’s positioning isn’t great. His defending looks half-decent at times when he’s over on the right-hand side, but being on the left, it’s been shocking, players are just walking past him. I think when we are trying to force these players in unnatural positions, then it’s horrendous.”
TIF Thoughts…
As Wallace suggests, Danny Rose is on loan from Spurs and will, therefore, be unable to play against his parent club on Wednesday, so perhaps Manquillo will be trusted on the left-hand side, as the 26-year-old has featured there twice this season. Although Wallace suggests that he is not suited to that position, his two appearances in that position have seen him average a very solid 7.04 rating (per WhoScored).
Do you think Manquillo will start at left-back against Spurs?
Yes
No
Manquillo recently signed a new contract with the North East club, suggesting that he will still be part of the squad next season, regardless of whether the proposed takeover of the club goes through or not, which may not please Wallace based on his comments on the podcast.