Sky Sports pundit rips into Spurs player with blunt assessment after Liverpool loss

Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness certainly did not hold back with his criticism of Tottenham Hotspur’s Kieran Trippier after the disappointing 2-1 defeat at Liverpool.

Trippier made his first start yesterday for Spurs since the 1-1 draw in the North London derby against Arsenal at Wembley at the start of last month and did not feature in either of England’s matches during the recent European qualifiers.

Souness was critical of Trippier’s positioning for Liverpool’s opening goal which came after 19 minutes with Andy Robertson’s cross found the head of Roberto Firminho who nodded past Hugo Lloris.

The pundit, who started his career at Spurs believed that Trippier should have known in his head where his team-mate Toby Alderweireld should have been positioned when Liverpool decided to switch the play from one side of the field to the other, rather than having to look over his shoulder to locate the Belgian.

The former Burnley defender has struggled with form since returning from last summer’s World Cup.

Former Spurs and Liverpool striker Robbie Keane was also on the punditry panel and believed that Trippier should have done more to stop Robertson’s cross.

When Sky Sports presenter David Jones said to Souness as quoted by The Express: “Robbie makes the point about Kieran Trippier, why doesn’t he go out?”

Souness did not mince his words: “Because he’s not a very good defender,”

He added: “If we see it again, the ball’s switched,”

“Watch Trippier look over his left shoulder.

“He’s wondering where Alderweireld is – he shouldn’t be.

“It’s easier to play with a five, it should be easier for the widest player, the full-back, wing-back, to go and sprint to the ball because you’ve got three centre-halves behind you.

“He’s gone out to the ball looking over his left shoulder going ‘where are you Alderweireld?’.

“He shouldn’t have to do that.

“Just sprint and assume that Alderweireld is there. He has to sprint there.

“But Trippier’s strength is going forward and delivering the kind of ball that Robertson did, not defending.”