Alasdair Gold has taken aim at Emerson Royal following his first-half display against Rangers in Tottenham Hotspur’s pre-season clash.
The full-back struggled as Spurs went into interval 1-0 down, and Gold did not pull any punches when writing for football.london, saying: “Defended well on the whole but another half of football in which attacks consistently broke down when he got the ball in advanced positions down the right, including one late chance before the interval. He’s just not a wing-back.”
With the start of the Premier League season closing in, Royal hasn’t got long to make an impression on Antonio Conte – or even those watching on like Gold. As of right now, the journalist’s comments suggest it doesn’t seem as though he’s in a position to warrant a starting place at Spurs.
On the whole, in truth, Spurs are entering the season in a better position than previous years. They’ve signed six new players, all ready to compete for a starting place come the start of the campaign. And with that depth, they’ll look to challenge on all fronts.
TIF Thoughts on Emerson Royal…
Royal will have plenty of competition for his place next season, that’s for sure. Ivan Perisic has worked under Conte before and could yet become an instant favourite under the Italian at wing-back. The Croatian’s experience could prove to be the difference-maker and one of the smartest summer signings come the end of the season.
So although Royal struggled in the first half of the Rangers game, Spurs are in a good position with the season fast approaching. Whether or not Royal can keep his place is the question, however. If he performs anything like he did against Rangers, he may be unlikely to when games start coming thick and fast in the Premier League – particularly as he was often subject to criticism during his maiden term at in north London.