Michael Owen told Premier League Productions on Optus Sport during their live coverage of Tottenham’s defeat to Arsenal on Sunday that Matt Doherty’s ‘not good enough’ to play as a right-back.
The 29-year-old found life difficult against Arsenal yesterday, with Kieran Tierney continually bombing down that side and Emile Smith Rowe causing havoc with and without the ball.
But Owen did slam Bale for not providing his teammate with much help on that side.
It was Doherty and Bale who were tasked to defend that area of the pitch, with the latter coming off in the second half when Spurs were still level with their neighbours.
Former England striker Owen made it clear that Doherty isn’t a right-back but he did admit that he ‘didn’t get much help’ from Bale.
“It was very productive (down that left-hand side),” said Owen. “And right from the start. There was so much space.
“Kieran Tierney getting loads of opportunity down that left-hand side. And Doherty, I think everybody seen him as a wing-back for Wolves and playing fantastically well as that.
“But I really don’t think he’s a right back. He’s not a good enough defender.
“Granted that he didn’t get much help from the likes of Gareth Bale. And a lot of the time, it was Hojbjerg who was going to double up with him.
“But virtually every promising Arsenal attack came from that left-hand side of Arsenal’s.”
When Spurs snapped Doherty up from Wolves in the summer, he came from a team that mainly deployed him as a wing-back, and he has played that role now and again for Spurs this season.
In truth, it hasn’t worked out for the Irishman in an area of the pitch that has been a problem for Tottenham before he walked through their doors.
What doesn’t help Jose Mourinho’s cause is that the guy behind Doherty – Serge Aurier – has had his own issues in that area of the pitch, so it’s not like somebody is banging on the door.
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