Former Tottenham Hotspur defender Pascal Chimbonda has given his take on Antonio Conte's struggles to find a first choice right wing-back this season.
Chimbonda knows a thing or two about the position, having been a full-back for Spurs across two different spells, and he has given his opinion on Emerson Royal, Matt Doherty and Djed Spence as they all vie for Conte's affection. Emerson has found himself on the end of plenty of displeasure from the fans for his performances, Doherty has been unable to recapture his form of last season while Spence has struggled for game time.
Chimbonda view on Emerson will be a surprising one for the fans when it comes to a player with one assist this season for the club as he believes the Brazilian looks good going forward.
READ MORE: What Antonio Conte said about Ryan Sessegnon, Djed Spence and his post-match Tottenham decision
"He has played well at times this season, but I do think that he has been made a bit of a scapegoat when the team plays badly. Football is a team game and people need to remember that. I think he needs to work on the defensive part of his game. When he gets forward, he looks good. He isn’t a proper old-school defender in the sense that he will win everything in the air and dive into tackles - he is more of an attacking player," Chimbonda told Lord Ping.
"Sessegnon is similar on the left. These players both look more comfortable going forward and they need to work on the defensive side of the game. With the way that Conte plays, the wing backs have a massive role at Tottenham."
Chimbonda believes that Spence, who impressed in a little cameo from the bench at Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night, should head out on loan.
"I understand his frustration. He has Royal and Doherty in front of him. I remember when Spurs signed Kyle Walker from Sheffield United, they let him stay at Sheffield on loan and he was allowed to develop there before joining the club. I feel like they should have done something similar with Spence," he said.
"The club must have known he wouldn’t have played that much, so for him and everyone, it would be better to loan him in January. Spence is a long-term prospect at the club. I think he should go and play and next season the club will benefit from the experience that he has gained on loan. At the moment, he is on the bench and not playing. Of course, he is training with the team but training and playing are two different things. He needs the game time to get better."
Doherty gets the nod from Chimbonda as the player Conte should select as his first choice right wing-back.
"I like Doherty. The way that Conte plays, I think he would suit Conte’s team perfectly because it is a very similar role to the one he performed so well in for Wolves. He understands the role of the wing-back," said the 43-year-old. "Royal has played as an orthodox right-back throughout his career. Matt Doherty is more suited to Conte. He played well under him and then had a bad injury, but if he can come back into the team and play like he was towards the end of last season, then he would be my first choice right-back."
Spurs have been linked with signing Inter right-back Denzel Dumfries, but Chimbonda urged caution over signing another player without moving on others.
"I think he would be a good addition to the squad. If he were to join the club that would give us four right-backs, which is far too many," he said. "Tottenham will need to sell a player or two before he joins and I also think they need to think about Spence’s future too. He will not be happy to see another player come into the team.
"I really like Dumfries as a player. I like what he offers going forward and I think he would be an improvement on Royal and Doherty."
READ NEXT:
What Antonio Conte said about Ryan Sessegnon, Djed Spence and his post-match Tottenham decision
Destiny Udogie injury, Lo Celso blow, Reguilon statement, Winks surgery - Tottenham loan latest
Richarlison reignites Jamie Carragher feud with 'silence' message after Nottingham Forest defeat
Antonio Conte sends Gareth Southgate critical Harry Kane warning amid World Cup squad dilemma
Tottenham news: Antonio Conte on Harry Kane fatigue as Rafael Leao transfer chance appears
