Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has admitted he is upset with constantly having to explain his selection policy regarding club striker Fernando Llorente.
Spurs managed to sneak a 1-0 win at home against Newcastle United and now sit just five points off Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Should Llorente start for Tottenham? Here is what you need to know…
- Fernando Llorente signed for Tottenham Hotspur from Swansea City for £12.1 million in 2017.
- He has largely been used as a second-choice striker behind Harry Kane.
- Following Kane’s injury, Llorente has stepped in to cover for the England captain.
- In total, Llorente has played 49 times for Spurs, scoring just 11 goals.
- He has been involved in seven goals in his past eight appearances for the club in all competitions (five goals, two assists).
Pochettino was speaking to reporters after his side’s home victory against Newcastle, in which a late Son Heung-min finish was enough to earn the north London side three points.
Llorente started the match on the bench, prompting reporters to question the decision with no recognised striker in the initial XI.
Responding in despairing fashion, Pochettino said Llorente’s absence from the starting line-up was simply due to fitness and that he is getting frustrated with the repeated line of enquiry regarding the Spaniard’s place in the team.
“No, the problem is every week we talk about the same thing. Rotate, if he could play, why he couldn’t play? If he play, why play?
“He’s so tired. It’s so tough for a manager and for him to play in every single game.
“Then in the Premier League, we play in every three days which is so difficult.
“I don’t know why we are debating here in this country. Llorente played after the injury of Harry Kane, played four games in a row and with three days recovery after being consistent in the starting eleven.
“The normal thing is to rotate, but it’s a thing that upset me a little bit because the debate in England is a little bit difficult to understand.
“You have 24 players. You need to use all of them.
“I don’t understand.”
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An important win for Spurs
For a long time, it looked as though Spurs were going to drop two points at home – or rather, Wembley Stadium – against a Newcastle United side who set up with almost everybody back in defence.
The Magpies were looking to add another key point to their survival bid following their impressive 2-1 victory over Manchester City last week.
However, Son managed to grab the goal late on to ensure that people are still talking about Tottenham when they are discussing who will win this year’s Premier League title.
Pochettino said: “It was difficult to find space.
“We created some chances in the first and second half but the most important thing in the end is to keep pushing and it was a massive effort again in the second game consecutively. Once again I need to praise my players.”
The post Pochettino “upset” with having to explain Llorente selection policy appeared first on Squawka News.
From Squawka News http://bit.ly/2UGBkNG
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