Tottenham Hotspur lost in the Champions League in midweek.
Paul Merson has positive words for Tottenham Hotspur right-back Serge Aurier in The Daily Star.
The former Arsenal star believes that although Aurier was “very poor” against Bayern Munich in the Champions League in midweek, Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino should have tried to protect him more.
Merson has also refuted suggestions that Spurs manager Pochettino has lost the dressing room.
Merson wrote in The Daily Star: “But all this talk about Mauricio Pochettino losing the dressing room? No. Not after what happened against Southampton when they go down to ten but still come back and win the game.”
Merson added: “Okay, Serge Aurier was very poor. He is a weakness for them at the moment. But Danny Rose is the best left back in the league. They just need to keep a settled back four.
“Also, Aurier had no protection at all. When you’re playing against lightning quick wingers like that they are going to get past you once or twice of you get no help.
“And in that system, the way Pochettino sets his team up, the midfielder doesn’t get across quickly enough. You can’t keep letting good wingers get a run on your full back one-on-one.”
Improvement needed
Aurier is a good right-back, but the Ivory Coast international has not been playing well for Tottenham for a while.
The 26-year-old had one of his worst games in a Spurs shirt against Bayern, and it is clear that the former Paris Saint-Germain man needs to improve.
Tottenham as a whole need to improve, and given how the North London outfit have bounced back from disappointing results in the past, the fans should be optimistic.
Pochettino is a very good manager, and there is no doubt that he has the confidence of his players.
Tottenham will return to action on Saturday afternoon when they take on Brighton and Hove Albion away from home in the Premier League.
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