Paul Merson has taken aim at Emerson Royal for his red card in Tottenham Hotspur’s defeat by Arsenal last weekend.
The Spurs right-back was sent off for a foul on Gabriel Martinelli during his side’s 3-1 reverse at the Emirates Stadium.
Emerson, signed by Fabio Paratici during the summer of 2021, has often struggled throughout his Tottenham career.
And last week, it was reported that the player had been studying Achraf Hakimi’s game in an effort to raise his level.
However, Merson has bluntly stated that the former Barcelona defender – a £25 million signing [Daily Mail] – simply isn’t good enough for the Lilywhites.
He told Sportskeeda: “I don’t know what Emerson Royal was doing, he’s not good enough and his side were embarrassed by their local rivals owing to his red card. Emerson Royal is not good enough and tends to struggle badly when he’s off it.”
The problem is, Spurs boss Antonio Conte doesn’t appear to be a massive admirer of Matt Doherty in North London either.
The former Wolves man is behind Emerson in the Italian manager’s pecking order and therefore despite being not good enough, according to Merson, the South American is likely to get his place back upon returning from suspension.
Really, Tottenham have had a problem with right-backs since Kyle Walker left in 2017.
They’ve had Kieran Trippier, Serge Aurier, Doherty and Emerson since then and honestly, none of them are a patch on the Manchester City star.
It’s been a problem area for Tottenham for years and in January, Conte and Paratici must address it.
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