Graham Roberts urges Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte to deploy Lucas Moura at right-back
According to Football.london, former Tottenham Hotspur player Graham Roberts on Twitter has told Spurs boss Antonio Conte that he believes forward Lucas Moura should be tried out in the right wing-back position in the next game against Brighton and Hove Albion.
Moura has been a mainstay in the Spurs squad ever since he signed for the club in 2018. He consistently puts in solid shifts in attack and contributes to several wins with his penchant for creating as well as scoring important goals.
With Tottenham requiring a right wing-back who can prove to be consistent and sound both in defence and attack, Roberts suggested that Moura be given a chance to impress the manager in the position. It is a rather out of the box solution to one of our major issues in the squad.
Tottenham currently have Matt Doherty and Emerson Royal playing in the right wing-back position. Neither has done enough to suggest that they have made the position their own yet. Spurs did not make any signings in January to fill the role and Conte will now need to make the most of his resources until the summer.
Role change for Moura?
Roberts is of the opinion that with Moura being quick on the flanks and capable of crossing the ball, the Brazilian would make a good fit in the role. The 29-year-old has played all across the front three positions but hasn’t had the experience of playing in a more defensive position.
So far, Emerson has often been first-choice right-back under Conte after Spurs signed him this summer. Doherty however, is doing his bit in impressing the Italian as well, producing an impressive performance against Leicester in the 3-2 win in January.
Roberts certainly makes a good point about utilising Moura’s abilities on the wings, with the Tottenham legend claiming that the player would make a good fit at wing-back. The Brazilian winger is tireless, running up and down the wing all game long in a bid to help his team out across the pitch.
Certainly, the former Spurs player believes that this work ethic of Moura makes him a suitable candidate for the job, despite it being a defensive job. The Brazilian has already shown this season that he has a secret yet solid defensive side to his game, making ten headed clearances despite his short stature.
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Wing-backs are required not only to put in a defensive shift, but also assist the forwards by creating chances for them from out on the flanks. Moura is a fine crosser of the ball due to his natural ability to play as a winger, proving his skill once again in the game against Leicester City last week. The Brazilian put in more crosses into the opposition box than Spurs’ wing-back duo combined, with all three players taking to the field.
The game against Brighton will see Spurs come against players like Tariq Lamptey, who has shown top-flight clubs what exactly is expected of a wing-back these days. Fans can closely watch Lamptey in action, and find out for themselves just what an upgrade he is in comparison with our current options in the wing-back position. It will be interesting to see whether Conte will take heed to Roberts’ suggestion and try something new.
