Paul Robinson has torn into Junior Firpo on BBC Radio 5 Live (26/2, 12:52) after the Leeds United defender’s attempt at defending as Dejan Kulusevski scored for Tottenham Hotspur.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side welcomed Spurs to Elland Road in search of a first win in five Premier League games. But their horrid week after a 4-2 defeat to Manchester United and 6-0 loss away to Liverpool looked likely to continue from the early stages on Saturday afternoon.
Matt Doherty broke the deadlock for Antonio Conte’s north London natives after just 10-minutes in West Yorkshire. Ryan Sessegnon found his fellow full-back with a low ball across Illan Meslier’s goal. And Kulusevski soon doubled the margin with a solid piece of solo play.
Kulusevski played a tidy one-two with Doherty to break into the Leeds area before firing Tottenham into a two-goal lead. The on-loan Juventus forward drilled a low effort into the bottom corner at the near post. He has two Premier League goals after his January move.
Harry Kane would need another 12-minutes to get in on the act and put Tottenham 3-0 up and Leeds further in trouble. Bielsa’s men are firmly in a relegation scrap, and are leaking goals hand over fist. No top-flight side has conceded more than the Whites so far this term.
Robinson slams ‘terrible’ Leeds star Junior Firpo for ‘inexcusable’ defending
Firpo came in for criticism from Robinson for his role in Kulusevski doubling Tottenham’s lead at Leeds. The £13m summer signing from Barcelona was making his 17th Premier League appearance of the season so far on Saturday. He has started 13 games to date.
“It is the same old story for Leeds,” Robinson said. “They’re finding themselves 2-0 down after 20-minutes and nothing is changing. They are the masters of their own downfall.
“Kulusevski picked the ball up in the corner, he was one-on-one with Firpo. All the defender had to do was put in a simple tackle. It is terrible, schoolboy defending. Inexcusable.”
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
