"What the hell's going on?" - Mark Lawrenson predicts winner of Tottenham vs Nottingham Forest
Former Liverpool star Mark Lawrenson has backed Tottenham Hotspur to respond to their UEFA Champions League exit with a win over Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Saturday (March 11).
Antonio Conte’s side were held to a goalless draw at home in the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16 with AC Milan on Wednesday (March 8) night. The stalemate allowed Milan to progress to the quarterfinals, courtesy of their 1-0 win at the San Siro in the first leg. After the game, Conte cast doubt on his Spurs future, saying he's unsure whether he would last till the end of the season.
While Tottenham’s European hopes have gone up in flames, they're still in the running for a top-four finish in the Premier League. Lawrenson has backed Spurs to bounce back from their Champions League exit and beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 on Saturday (March 11).
In his column for PaddyPower, Lawrenson wrote:
“Spurs were awful against AC Milan but they’ll beat Nottingham Forest. You know they will because it’s the Tottenham way. I can’t see Forest causing them too many problems.
“But you look at Spurs and you think, ‘What the hell’s going on?’ On paper, they’ve got a good side but Antonio Conte won’t be there next season and the players know that. Tottenham 2-0 Nottingham Forest.”
The Lilywhites, who're fourth place in the Premier League, have faced Nottingham five times, winning thrice and losing once.
Tottenham Hotspur ace Richarlison slams Antonio Conte’s team selection, calls it a “s***” season
Spurs striker Richarlison went on an unimaginable rant following his team’s Champions League exit on Wednesday.
The Brazilian forward criticised Antonio Conte for keeping him on the bench, insisting that he deserved to start after his impressive display against Chelsea.
After the game, Richarlison said:
"I'm a professional, I work every day and I want to play. I'm missing minutes, missing time. Apologies for the word but this season is s*** because I don't have minutes, I suffered a bit from injury, too.
“I was on a good run, with two wins against West Ham and Chelsea, and suddenly he [Conte] put me on the bench. Against Wolves, he put me in five minutes. I asked why and they didn't tell me anything.”
Richarlison concluded:
“I came from two good games, mainly against Chelsea, where I played the full 90 minutes, and we won the game. I guess I should have played [from the start against Milan].”
Richarlison, who has only scored twice in 25 games since joining from Everton in a £60 million move last summer, came on against Milan in the 70th minute. He completed only five passes and failed to register a shot against the Rossoneri.