Popular pundit levels blame for Spurs defeat to Southampton at feet of star Antonio Conte wanted to replace

Posted by

Pundit Micah Richards has pinned the blame for Tottenham Hotspurs defeat to Southampton at the doorstep of Emerson Royal. 

Southampton ran out 3-2 victors over Spurs on Wednesday evening, despite twice being ahead of the visitors.

Each goal came down the right side of the Spurs defence, the side summer signing Royal operates on. This was something Richards highlighted on Match of the Day.

As quoted by Football London, he said: “For the first goal, it started with Emerson Royal, not engaging the ball, Ben Davies slips, that can happen. They have four players, but no-one is marking [Armando] Broja, they don’t and it is a fantastic finish.

“They were ball watching [for Elyounoussi’s goal] and I’m not picking on him [Royal], but the danger is inside the box and it was mistake after mistake for Spurs, they were miles off of it.

For the third goal and ultimately winning goal, he added: “If he [Royal] adjusts his position by two or three yards, he can head that away.”

Conte had been desperate for a solution to appear for him in the January market, with Adama Traore his main port of call when it came to who he wanted to bring in.

However, Spurs failed to do this and Traore consequently signed for Barcelona on loan for the rest of the season, where he registered an assist in his first game back with the Blaugrana.

Spurs will need to appease Conte’s demands in the summer if they truly want to win a trophy under him, as he is currently the man best equipped in world football who Spurs can realistically expect to achieve such a goal.

More Stories Antonio Conte Emerson Royal Micah Richards

2 Comments

  1. Yeah not sure what game he was watching. Royal is culpable, but when. Your centerback is up on the guy Romero already covered with Royal having to decide so he stays neutral for the last goal. Yes 3 feet to left means the other guys is 8 feet open unfortunately he made neither move and we loss. Maybe they need to watch the entire sequence of no pressure on the ball as we were overran in the middle. The ball went out wide Reggie not denying the cross and Sanchez cannot read the flight of a ball 40 yards away to adjust his position and find his man. Che Adams is not Royal’s responsible and, if Royal man went deeper or inside Sanchez is responsible for him so Royal can pick up Adams. Anyone watching the game instead of wanting to give Conte a pass for not dropping another in midfield, go flat back 4 by pulling Reggie and putting Davies at left, bring on Rodrigo and play Winks and PEH higher. That would have solve us being out manned in the midfield. Everyone is blaming Winks when all game to the end we have a 2 versus on to compete with.

    1. He is spot on Emerson and Sanchez were all over the place on the right side of defence often out of place enabling Southampton Acres of room.

Comments are closed