"Past his sell by date" - Liverpool legend Graeme Souness launches astonishing attack on Tottenham star
Liverpool legend Graeme Souness blasted Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris for his performance during the Premier League clash against Aston Villa. Lloris returned to action for the first time since finishing as the runner-up with France in the 2022 FIFA World Cup against Argentina two weeks ago.
The Frenchman was at fault when Emi Buendia opened the scoring in the 50th minute. He miscontrolled a harmless looking effort from Douglas Luiz, which led to the goal.
Souness pointed out that the 36-year-old has been making these sorts of mistakes since the start of the season. In an epic rant, the former Liverpool manager said (via Daily Mail):
"I am not a big fan of Lloris. I have said it for a long time. He has made four errors leading to goals since the start of last season. That is the worst for goalkeepers in the Premier League. He is past his sell by date."
While Lloris was slammed for his performance, Ollie Watkins earned plaudits for his quick anticipation inside the Tottenham box. The 27-year-old effectively managed to set up Buendia. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink said:
"This is what you do as a striker, you never know if a goalkeeper is going to spill it, and he does. He anticipates well. ... How bad was the defending of Romero and Lenglet. Have a little bit of passion, he (Romero) just gets pushed away. A clever ball from Watkins."
Ollie Watkins and Robin Olsen appreciation tweet because they’ve both been absolutely rinsed on here and they’re owed an apology.
Jamie Redknapp also spoke about Watkin's performance, sayingL
"A great piece of play by Villa, the centre forward when you need something special. It is a good strike from Luiz, he reacts so well. A lovely little set, and Buendia finishes well. Watkins reacts, this is what you want from a striker."
Antonio Conte asks Tottenham fans to be realistic
Antonio Conte asked Tottenham fans to be realistic in their expectations about the team's performance following the 2-0 defeat against Aston Villa. The Italian manager said (via The Guardian):
“At the start of the seasonm I was very clear and said we could be competitive but try to continue to improve. You also have to know there are clubs that can invest £200m, and you have to respect their quality. It has to be very clear otherwise we create expectation that’s not positive for the environment, to create expectation which at this moment it’s not realistic."
Unai Emery has still never lost to Tottenham in the Premier League 🤝 https://t.co/AvkhNE2kgg
Spurs are fifth with 30 points from 17 games and will return to action against Crystal Palace at Selhurst park on January 5.