Matt Doherty’s first competitive start of the season did not go according to plan, with the Tottenham man being slammed for his display against Scotland.
Doherty has been overlooked by Antonio Conte so far this season, with the Italian putting the 30-year-old’s omission down to him not having reached full fitness following the knee injury he picked up in April (Football London).
The former Wolves man admitted last week to The Irish Mirror that the Spurs boss was right in saying he has not been at 100 per cent this season.
He suggested he is now nearing full fitness and remarked that he might be back in contention at Tottenham after getting a couple of matches under his belt during the international break.
However, things did not go well for Doherty as the Republic of Ireland fell to a 2-1 loss to Scotland in their Nations League clash at Hamden Park on Saturday.
The Tottenham man played 76 minutes before being replaced by Seamus Colemen, and The Irish Times were not very complimentary about his display.
The publication gave Doherty a rating of 5 out of 10, and wrote about his performance: “Sluggish and looked short of fitness given his lack of game time for Tottenham.
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“Made a few clumsy tackles and Scotland saw an opening on his side. Poor for the Hendry goal, a halfhearted attempt to stop Christie. Made one brilliant defensive header at the back post, but not enough to make up for an erratic display.”
Spurs Web Opinion
One can expect some sluggishness from Doherty, given his lack of competitive action over the past few months.
No matter how much intensity one trains with, playing a competitive match presents unique challenges, and players need a couple of matches to get some rhythm.
So, Spurs fans should not be too worried about Doherty’s display against the Scots.
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