Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte told ‘perfect’ Djed Spence solution to right-back dilemma
Former Arsenal winger Perry Groves has told Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte that Djed Spence is ‘perfect’ for the way his team plays.
Spence was signed this summer from Middlesbrough for a fee of £20million with add-ons after an impressive season on loan with Nottingham Forest in the Championship. However, the odds looked stacked against the Englishman from the get-go.
Emerson Royal has been a visible weak link in our defence in most games this season but he continues to be above Matt Doherty in the pecking order, who isn’t a world-class option himself. Spence is the worst-off out of the trio.
He has made just three Premier League appearances for his new club, all as a last-minute substitute. Groves finds it hard to believe that he hasn’t been given his chance because he is apparently ideal for Spurs’ system. He exclusively told talkSPORT:
“He [Conte] can’t make up his mind in the wing-back positions – who’s going to be his first-choice wing-backs. It was Ivan Perisic and Matt Doherty against Brentford.”
“In the past, they’ve had Emerson Royal play and Ryan Sessegnon. It’s been strange that Djed Spence hasn’t had his chance because he’s perfect for the way Spurs play.”
Not long after he was announced as a Spurs player, Conte claimed that it was the club’s decision to sign the 22-year-old, and not his own. Groves gave his thoughts on such claims and said:
“There might be a bit of politics there where the reports are that he isn’t an Antonio Conte signing, which I can’t believe myself because he wouldn’t have players come into the club without him saying so, so it’s a bit of a strange one.”
Spurs evidently play with two attacking full-backs that act almost as wingers at times. This is the reason why Ivan Perisic, renowned for his brilliant attacking abilities down the flank, is succeeding down the left flank.
That can’t be said for the right-hand side. Many Spurs fans have asked for Spence to be given his chance and we can’t know if he is suitable to our starting XI or not unless we start to trust him more often.
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He made 39 appearances in the Championship last season, many of them as an advanced full-back, and he stood out as one of the league’s top wing-backs. Let’s hope he can replicate that at Spurs if and when given the chance.
