'At this stage': Roy Keane says one Tottenham player will never be good enough after seeing him at Liverpool
05/05/2024 19:30
Tottenham put in another poor performance at Liverpool today and Roy Keane has laid into one of the Spurs players for his performance.
2-0 down at half-time, things got worse for Tottenham within five minutes of the restart when Cody Gakpo slotted in to make it three and effectively game over.
For Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou, it was yet another limp display from a group of players who are not doing themselves any favours ahead of the summer.
Postecoglou spoke in midweek about having to change things in the window this summer and on today’s evidence, he’ll have some easy decisions to make.
One of those decisions could come in the form of Brazilian defender, Emerson Royal.
The full-back was at fault for the opening goal from Mo Salah and speaking about the defender at half-time, former Manchester United skipper Roy Keane lamented the Tottenham man’s efforts.
Roy Keane unimpressed with Emerson Royal during Liverpool v Tottenham
Speaking on Sky Sports about Royal’s defending for the first goal for Mo Salah, Keane suggested the Brazilian is just never going to get it.
"He doesn't smell danger. Wherever he is in the back-four, he doesn't smell danger. Whether he is at right-back or left-back, and he is not going to get to know at this stage of his career,” Keane said.
End of the road for Emerson Royal at Spurs?
While he might be playing slightly out of position down the left-hand side, there is no excuse for switching off like Emerson did here.
Gary Neville commented on it at the time but there is just no awareness from Royal as to where Salah is and before he knows it, it’s in the net.
Ultimately, these sorts of mistakes are going to stick in Postecoglou’s mind so close to the end of the season.
It would be no surprise, then, to see Royal among the players the Spurs boss looks to move on.
As Keane says here, at 25, he’s still not learnt some of the basics of defending and ultimately, that could cost him his place in the Premier League.
