Tottenham legend Graham Roberts has said that defensive duo Emerson Royal and Ben Davies deserve high praise from today’s draw with Man City.
The full-backs were once again tasked with playing at centre-back by Ange Postecoglou. With a defensive crisis at the club and Eric Dier adding to that with another knock, the duo needed to be at their best.
Against Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez, there were times when both Emerson and Davies looked short in the first 45 minutes.
However, they both grew into the game for Spurs and taking to social media, former Tottenham man Roberts was full of praise for both Royal and Davies.
Davies and Royal deserve credit for standing up
Any defender who comes out of a game with Erling Haaland with a result deserves some praise.
Sure, City might have scored three goals and might even have had even more in the first half especially.
But Davies and Royal grew into the game in the second 45 and they helped set the tone for Spurs to go and get something from the game.
Postecoglou is asking a lot of the pair as well. Both are not natural centre-backs, never mind natural centre-backs in a back four.
So really, Roberts’ comments on the pair here are justified and nice to read.
Of course, Tottenham would love to have both Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven back tomorrow if they could. But only Romero is on his way back imminently so one of Davies or Royal will continue to get the nod you feel.
It was a big test for them against City today and in the end, they just about stood up to it.
Big Ange will be delighted with what he saw, then, and will surely have no issues in calling on either player as the season ticks along.