According to journalist Darren Lewis, Spurs boss Antonio Conte still doesn’t trust summer signing Emerson Royal for a myriad of reasons after another poor performance as the North London team chases the final Champions League spot.
Spurs once again failed to put themselves back in the driving seat for fourth and the last Champions League spot after failing to pick up all three points against Brentford on the weekend, drawing 0-0 and making it back-to-back games where they have failed to secure a win against inferior opponents.
A big reason for this possible drop off in form could stem from a recent injury to full-back Matt Doherty whose career in the capital was seemingly revived by Conte upon his arrival. This has left the Italian manager to rely on the likes of Royal, Ryan Sessegnon, and Sergio Reguilon, with the former having struggled to adapt to the pace and demand of the Premier League since arriving from Barcelona in the summer.
Using wing-backs both in attack and defence is a key part of Conte’s system which has seen success both in England and Italy with Chelsea and most recently Inter Milan, therefore any disruption to the position can and has proved costly to their charge for success in the league.
Speaking on TalkSport’s GameDay podcast, journalist Lewis suggested Royal has not been good enough at the position and this had led to a lack of trust from Conte despite having to play the Brazilian.
He stated, “As far as he is concerned his decision making is poor. He’s easy to mark out of the game he has a mistake in him in every match and Conte just simply doesn’t trust him”.
TIF Thoughts on Emerson Royal…
It’s not a surprise Conte has a lack of trust in Royal considering his consistently poor form since his arrival from Barcelona, he lacks the no how to play efficiently and at a high level in the Premier League.
So far this season Royal has only managed one goal and one assist in all competitions for Spurs, in a system that relies on its wing-backs to lead attacks and play high up the pitch. He has only managed 0.8 key passes, 0.,5 dribbles, 0.6 crosses, and 0.5 long balls per game so far this season. However, his defensive numbers are slightly better, averaging 1.9 tackles, 0.7 interceptions, and 2.4 clearances. (Whoscored)
Should Conte trust Emerson Royal?Yes
No
|
Royal could definitely regain form and develop into a serviceable and reliable full-back, but doing so in a situation where he will have so much pressure on him to be great both going forward and defending might not be the best place for him. Spurs brass should look for a more suitable replacement for the defender and try to cash in where they can on Royal.