Jamie Carragher has praised Emerson Royal for his performance during Tottenham’s 3-2 win over Manchester City on Saturday, as he told Sky Sports PL (19/02/22 at 7:10 pm).
But the former defender was ‘not sure’ whether Emerson is of the ‘required standards’ to play for Antonio Conte in the long run after being ‘criticised a lot’.
After ripping up Serge Aurier’s contract in the summer, Spurs knocked on Barcelona’s door and snapped up Emerson for £26 million (Sky Sports).
It was the now-sacked Nuno Espirito Santo who added him to the north London ranks and the 23-year-old has found life tough under the Portuguese and now his Italian manager.
But yesterday, it was a different story for all involved at Spurs after Harry Kane scored a stoppage-time winner to see off the Premier League champions.
And Carragher delivered his verdict on the man on Tottenham’s right flank.
“He has been challenged a lot down that side, Emerson Royal,” said Carragher. “But he has done well.
“At times, he has been criticised a lot for his role at Tottenham and whether he is at the required standards for Antonio Conte.
“I am not sure, but he has certainly put in a shift against Manchester City.”
The key thing for Emerson is that Conte is still backing him to do the business and that faith is all he needs.
The ex-Barcelona man has, on occasions, lacked that defensive awareness and switched off when the opposition have had the ball.
But Conte has proven throughout his career that he can eek out the very best from players, regardless of their standing.
And Emerson will be hoping he can add his name to the list, as his performance at the Etihad should be an example of what is required.
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