On the latest episode of the Extra Inch podcast, Chris Miller, Nathan Clark and Bardi provided reaction to Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 defeat against Everton in their opening game of the 2020/21 Premier League season.
A solitary goal from Dominic Calvert-Lewin consigned Jose Mourinho’s side to defeat in their first fixture of the new campaign, and following the game, those on the podcast singled out Lucas Moura in particular for criticism due to his disappointing display.
The Brazilian picked up a 6/10 rating for his performance against the Toffees, registering just one shot on target, and a relatively poor pass accuracy of 77.1% (per WhoScored).
Here’s what Miller had to say about the former PSG man on the podcast, also discussing a tweet regarding the 28-year-old that caught their attention:
“Mourinho had said post-match that: ‘Lucas was one of the players who, for me, was physically better because he was one of the guys who had a very good pre-season. He was one who was showing me he was capable to create and win duels in there.’
“So, he decided to change Lucas for that position, i.e. he moved him into the middle [to] try and put some pressure on Allan at the base of Everton’s midfield.
“Alongside that is the actual reality of that, where Lucas attempted 16 ground duels and won two, and the tweet says, ‘I don’t have anything else left to say, Lucas Moura will never be defeated.’
“Zero key passes again. This is the thing, he’s such an unproductive player in an attacking sense, such an unproductive player.
“He’s there simply because of his ability to press and run and if he’s not doing that effectively, yet he’s staying on the pitch when someone who could genuinely achieve something, in Dele [Alli], gets hooked. I didn’t like that sub at all.”
TIF Thoughts…
Miller certainly doesn’t seem to rate Moura, who is valued at £28.8 million (as per Transfermarkt), and seems confused as to why Alli was subbed at half-time, when he could definitely be seen as a creative influence in that Spurs side, considering he has registered 55 assists in 223 appearances for the North London club (per Transfermarkt).
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Moura, meanwhile, stayed on for the full 90 minutes but failed to contribute a single key pass during the game (per WhoScored), so as Miller suggests, it is surprising to hear Mourinho complimentary of him in his post-match conference.
Hopefully, for Spurs and Moura, the 28-year-old will be able to provide much more creativity in this Spurs side in future matches.