Alasdair Gold feels “sorry” for Tottenham star after what De Zerbi has done
In Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 loss to Sunderland on Sunday, manager Roberto De Zerbi came under fire from Alasdair Gold for deploying Richarlison on the left flank.
The defeat at the Stadium of Light was made worse by an injury to Cristian Romero, with Tim Sherwood strongly criticizing the center-back after the match.
It has since been confirmed that Romero will miss the rest of the season, dealing another blow to the club’s new manager.
Kevin Danso appears the most likely replacement at the heart of a defense that has already conceded 51 Premier League goals this term. However, problems also persist in midfield and attack.
Jamie Carragher has warned that Spurs could face relegation unless De Zerbi quickly fixes his midfield, singling out Lucas Bergvall, Conor Gallagher, and Archie Gray for criticism following the Sunderland defeat. Bergvall’s stats from the match made for grim reading: just 19 touches, zero shots, no duels won, seven completed passes, and one clearance.
While Xavi Simons would seem the natural alternative to Bergvall, the 22-year-old has fallen out of favor with both Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor, and was only brought on for the final five minutes against Sunderland—suggesting he has yet to impress De Zerbi in training.
Earlier in the season, with Dominic Solanke injured, Richarlison led the line effectively and has enjoyed a decent personal campaign, scoring nine Premier League goals. But the former Everton forward struggled to make an impact against Sunderland after being selected on the left wing. Gold criticized the decision, stating:
“I understand why he’d want Richarlison in the lineup—he’s a fighter—but I simply can’t accept him on the left. It works occasionally, but it was thoroughly exposed at the Stadium of Light.
He struggles to beat a man, and even when he does, he lacks the pace to pull away. I felt for him, but even more so for the team, because promising attacks kept dying at his feet. He either made poor passing choices or rushed early, tame shots that were easily dealt with.”