Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte speaks up about Matt Doherty and his versatility
Speaking ahead of his side’s FA Cup fifth-round tie against Middlesbrough (h/t football.london), Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte was full of praise for defender Matt Doherty and his importance to the team.
Doherty played the full 90 minutes against Leeds United in the Premier League the previous weekend, as Spurs came out 4-0 winners at Elland Road. The right wing-back made a rare start for his side against the Peacocks and was arguably one of the team’s best players on the pitch.
Conte said that the former Wolves man’s versatility was a useful trait of his, as the Italian talked about all the different possibilities that his team could line up in because of Doherty’s talents.
“With Emerson on the right, but Doherty can also play on the left. I was pleased to see him at this level, also Ryan Sessegnon.”
The Republic of Ireland international bagged a goal, an assist, and kept a clean sheet against a poor Leeds side that failed to get going from the very beginning. Doherty in fact opened the scoring in the first ten minutes of the match.
“Important part of this team”
Doherty was brought back to the lineup after last week’s loss against Burnley at Turf Moor, which saw Tottenham lose their fourth Premier League game in five matches. Restoring him to the starting XI seemed to do the trick, as Spurs shook off their previous defeat and kicked on strongly.
Conte said that the right wing-back was an important part of his team, talking about how much the player had improved and was willing to contribute even if he is not playing every game.
“Doherty is another player that is improved. He has worked a lot. I like him because if he plays or if he doesn’t play he is commited and his attitude is always at the top. He understood that he can have an important part of this team.”
Doherty has not been the first choice for Spurs this season under Conte, with the Italian preferring to choose new signing Emerson Royal on the right flank instead. Despite the former Barcelona player not doing anything special to lock down the position as his own, Doherty has been overlooked multiple times this season by Conte.
The 30-year-old has been at Tottenham since 2020 but has failed to establish himself in the team under multiple managers. However, this exceptional performance against Leeds may prove to be a turning point for him towards the business end of the season.
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Doherty also scored his first goal for the club in the previous game, and if selected against Middlesbrough, he will hope to add more to his tally and prove to be an effective attack option down the right-hand side.
Conte, meanwhile, will surely have a selection dilemma for the right wing-back role in the FA Cup tie but will be glad that it is a good problem to have. All eyes will be on the Italian’s teamsheet to see if Doherty gets a nod after the manager showered praise on him today.
