Jamie Carragher believes Tottenham Hotspur’s midfield trio of Lucas Bergvall, Conor Gallagher and Archie Gray are a “big problem” in their fight against relegation from the Premier League.
Spurs are under increasing pressure after Leeds’ win over Man Utd
The relegation battle took a new turn on Monday night, with Leeds United securing a stunning 2-1 victory over rivals Manchester United, a result that moved Daniel Farke’s side six points clear of 18th-placed Tottenham.
The Whites will host Burnley and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Elland Road before the end of the season, putting them in a good position to avoid relegation, while Spurs look up against them.
Roberto De Zerbi got off to a terrible start on Sunday, his side losing 1-0 to Sunderland, and to make matters worse, captain Cristian Romero will miss the rest of the campaign, after breaking down in tears in the second half.
While Romero has been ruled out, and the Lilywhites are struggling in form as of late, failing to score in their last two Premier League games, Carragher believes De Zerbi’s midfield position is his biggest issue.
Speaking on Sky Sports, the pundit suggested that Gallagher has been poor since his arrival, while Bergvall and Gray lack the experience to dig Tottenham out of trouble, saying: “Actually I think Bergvall, and actually Archie Gray have been two of the best players for Tottenham. They are two young kids, I look at that midfielder, and I was really worried yesterday after the game, and it was because of the central position.
“Are two young kids learning their trade going to get you out of the relegation battle? Conor Gallagher has come in, who’s the manager he likes because he’s tried to buy him, but it hasn’t worked for him so far at Spurs. Listen, we know he’s been a decent Premier League player, but it hasn’t happened at all for him, and that’s been a problem in midfield since the start of the season.
“If you think about something he has to do differently, he has to prepare the midfielder. Because that has become a problem for the three managers. This is De Zerbi’s first game, but you can see if you compare the statistics with Granit Xhaka, it is a big problem for them.”
Spurs must bounce back against Brighton
Carragher also suggested that West Ham United have a better midfield than Spurs, with Nuno’s side showing plenty of fight at the moment, as they beat Wolves 4-0 to climb out of the relegation zone on Friday night.
Tim Sherwood warns De Zerbi not to trust the one Tottenham player who could get him sacked
Spurs are in deep trouble after losing 1-0 to Sunderland.
On the other hand, De Zerbi, clearly not convinced of his options in the middle of the park, all three midfielders were sent off against Sunderland, although Gallagher, perhaps surprisingly, given the heavy criticism, managed to stay on until the 85th minute.
With Tottenham in deep trouble, the manager needs to turn things around quickly, starting next Saturday, when the Italian’s former employers, Brighton & Hove Albion, travel to north London.
