Gabriel Agbonlahor hammered Emerson Royal after his disappointing showing against Leeds United in Tottenham Hotspur’s latest 4-3 victory on talkSPORT.
While many expected the ex-Real Betis right-back to redeem himself during his second season at the club, that seems easier said than done now.
In the ongoing campaign, the former Real Betis right-back has once again had his fair share of struggles, both defensively and offensively.
Against Jesse Marsch’s men, Royal skied a gilt-edged chance from close quarters, when the North Londoners were 1-0 down in the first half.
The Brazilian’s crossing was typically wayward as well, with one moment in particular drawing a furious reaction from the Tottenham faithful when his attempt to put the ball in the box miraculously reached a Wolves player in the middle of the park.
Ex-Aston Villa striker and pundit, Gabriel Agbonlahor also chimed in on the much-maligned defender’s poor displays by saying, “Emerson Royal, I said it last week, he’s useless. There’s a reason why 39-year old Daniel Alves is going to the World Cup before Emerson Royal. He’s not good enough.”
Conte needs to bring him out of the firing line
In our view, it is high-time that Antonio Conte deploys either of the alternatives to Emerson Royal at right wing-back, such as the likes of Ivan Perisic, Djed Spence or Matt Dohery. For starters, the Brazilian has left a lot to be desired during his time at Spurs.
Perhaps more pertinently, with fans unsurprisingly livid at Royal’s appalling displays at the club, it could well be a case where much like Harry Maguire at Manchester United, a crisis of confidence leads to the right-back finding it a tall task to ever justify the initial hype around his name.
Former Lilywhites boss, Tim Sherwood even highlighted how the 23-year-old is getting “so much stick”, every time he gets on the ball.
After the Qatar World Cup, one hopes that Antonio Conte brings Emerson Royal out of the spotlight, as the constant stick from a whole host of fans and pundits alike will make a potential redemption arc next to impossible for a player who is just 23 years old at the end of the day.
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