Tottenham Hotspur lost 1-0 at home to Everton on Sunday, turning in a dismal display in their first game of the season.
Spurs were flat and uninspired throughout, and fell to defeat as Dominic Calvert-Lewin powered home a header from Lucas Digne’s free kick.
Tottenham just couldn’t get going, and their pressing seemed to be lacking a spark, whilst their midfield couldn’t get close to Everton new boys Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure.
New boy Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg didn’t enjoy a great debut, whilst fellow addition Matt Doherty maybe didn’t quite have the desired impact.
The Irishman has been brought in as Tottenham’s new first-choice right back, taking Serge Aurier’s place from last season.
Doherty was a superb attacking wing back at Wolves, but he is now being asked to play as a right back in a back four at Spurs – and he didn’t look entirely comfortable there on Sunday.
Doherty was often see starting high up the pitch, leaving space in behind for Richarlison to cause problems, which exposed Toby Alderweireld’s lack of pace.
During Sky Sports’ coverage of the game (16:52), Jamie Redknapp suggested that Doherty was ‘miles too high’, and Gary Neville added that Spurs were making a mistake by starting him so high up the pitch rather than allowing him to arrive late.
“It’s like he’s playing in a back three!” said Redknapp. “This is fine when you’re playing for Wolves and you’ve got Boly behind you as a right-sided centre back, but in this formation, he’s playing miles too high.”
“He is really high. I actually think he’s easier to mark when you actually stand out there and you’re high, because it ultimately gives those Everton left-sided players your position straight away, they know where he is. He’s more dangerous when he arrives with the timing,” added Neville.
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