Ian Wright has been left baffled by criticism of Tottenham Hotspur’s playing style from some pundits, as per his comments to the Wrighty’s House podcast.
Spurs have reached the top of the Premier League table, yet the likes of Graeme Souness and Jamie Redknapp were keen to criticise their style of play after their win in the North London derby.
Spurs have kept clean sheets against Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal in recent weeks by sitting back, soaking up pressure, and counter attacking in numbers.
But their lack of willingness to really play on the front-foot has seen some pundits criticise Mourinho, despite Tottenham’s success.
And it is a school of thought which Wright simply cannot understand.
“It’s pundits saying ‘I’m not sure Tottenham fans will be happy with the way they’re playing’ and I’m thinking to myself the way they played against Arsenal the other day, what they did against Manchester United, how they beat West Brom and how they stayed in the game. I can’t understand why the pundits are saying ‘they’re not going to be happy with the way that they are playing and it’s a good thing that fans are not in there’,” Wright said.
“You look at the way Arsenal played and pass the ball around and got nowhere. Tottenham, it was just like possum. It was efficient, clinical. They killed us.”
Tottenham now have the best defensive record in the entirety of the Premier League, which is remarkable considering their recent fixtures.
Mourinho’s style may not be the most enthralling to watch, but it is certainly effective, and Tottenham have performed above all expectations so far this term.
Spurs are next in action on Sunday when they take on Crystal Palace, and it will be intriguing to see how they approach the game, as it is likely they will have to show a greater attacking intent than they have in recent weeks.
Wrighty’s House is the latest podcast from The Ringer with host Ian Wright with new episodes every Wednesday. The podcast will be available exclusively on Spotify. You can listen here.
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