Spanish publication AS have laid into Emerson Royal for his cameo in Tottenham’s FA Cup exit to Middlesbrough in midweek.
Spurs were knocked out of the competition by the Championship outfit following a disappointing display at the Riverside Stadium.
A strong Spurs side struggled to assume control or convert their chances against a spirited Boro, which has condemned them to a 14th consecutive season without clinching silverware.
With the score at a stalemate heading into extra time, Antonio Conte made a double substitution containing Emerson and Steven Bergwijn in an attempt to swing the tie in his side’s fortunes.
The former, who joined the club from Barcelona last summer, played a role in the lone goal of the game, keeping young forward Josh Coburn well onside for Middlesborough’s winning strike.
The ex-Barcelona right-back’s contribution left the media back in Spain less than impressed, with AS noting his error as ‘grotesque’ and a key factor behind Tottenham’s dismal exit.
Despite starting the season regularly under Nuno Espirito Santo, Emerson has bounced in and out of the Spurs line-up under Antonio Conte.
MORE SPURS STORIES
Matt Doherty was entrusted to start the fixture against Boro after netting and providing an assist in Tottenham’s 4-0 thrashing of Leeds last weekend.
Spurs Web Opinion
While Emerson’s positioning for Middlesbrough’s goal wasn’t the best, it wasn’t just his fault in fairness to him. There was a bunch of Spurs players grouped towards the corner of the box that was simply bypassed, which left so much space for the winner regardless.
Keep up to date with all the latest Tottenham news and opinion by following SpursWeb’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
