Antonio Conte was fuming with Richarlison before the Brazilian popped up with two goals for Tottenham Hotspur against Marseille on Wednesday night.
Tottenham opened their Champions League group stage campaign with a home clash against Marseille.
It was proving to be a frustrating night even after Chancel Mbemba had been sent off for the visitors.
Richarlison saved the day though, scoring two headers to give Tottenham a 2-0 win and a perfect start to the Champions League.
Antonio Conte was fuming with Richarlison
Richarlison was the hero and the summer signing from Brazilian is already becoming a fan favourite in North London.
Conte decided to stick with Richarlison in his front three after bringing him into the starting lineup against Fulham on Saturday.
Richarlison started on the right flank with Son Heung-min on the left and Harry Kane through the middle, leaving Dejan Kulusevski on the bench once again.
We know how that Richarlison was Tottenham’s goalscoring saviour last night, but Conte actually wasn’t happy with him in the first half.
Approaching half time, Son attempted to spin the ball to the right flank for Richarlison to nip in attack Marseille’s back three.
Richarlison was on his heels though and Samuel Gigot was able to get in before the Tottenham attacker and clear the ball away.
The microphones picked up some rather agitated yelling after that moment and BT Sport pundit Jermaine Jenas noted that it was Conte screaming at Richarlison.
“Conte is going mad down there,” said Jenas. “That’s a couple of occasions now where Richarlison has just not got himself over far enough to maintain [possession] when they nick it around the corner, he’s on the wrong side,” he added.
The emphasis was on Richarlison to move from the right flank infield, opening up room for wing back Emerson Royal.
Yet Richarlison wasn’t quite doing that well enough in the first half, certainly not to the level Kulusevski can offer.
Nobody will really remember this after Richarlison’s two-goal salvo in the second half, but those little moments are the things that Conte will want to work on.
If Richarlison can get his positioning and movement absolutely spot on as Conte wants it to be, he may just keep his place in the Tottenham side.
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