New Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has made bold and brave decisions, reducing the roles of Eric Dier and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, and replacing long-serving goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
Brazilian full-back Emerson Royal has slipped down the pecking order at right-back, starting just one league game this season after losing his place to Pedro Porro.
Academy sensation Tyrell Ashcroft, previously described as promising, could be a suitable alternative to challenge Porro at right-back and has shown potential in the Premier League 2 games for Spurs’ U21 side.
It is also looking rather rosy as far as Tottenham Hotspur are concerned, with new boss Ange Postecoglou having enjoyed a stunning start to life in the dugout after picking up four successive Premier League victories to leave his side firmly in the mix at the summit.
The ex-Celtic boss appears to have benefitted from the bold and brave decisions he has made over the last few months or so, notably handing a reduced role to the likes of Eric Dier and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, while also replacing long-serving asset, Hugo Lloris in the sticks.
That trio are not the only figures to have suffered from the 58-year-old’s appointment, with Brazilian full-back Emerson Royal another to have slipped down the pecking order of late down the right flank.
How much did Tottenham pay for Emerson Royal?
The former Barcelona man – who arrived from Camp Nou back in the summer of 2021 – has started just a solitary league game this season after losing his place to Pedro Porro at right-back, with the 25-year-old unable to build on his mini-resurgence last term.
The £25.8m signing overcame his early woes in English football to prove a standout figure in the second half of last season’s tumultuous campaign, with club insider John Wenham suggesting that it looked as if the defender had initially been “spurred on” by the signing of Porro.
While also described as “unbelievable” by Wenham following his display against Manchester City earlier this year, it may be hard to forget the £40k-per-week man’s prior grim performances, however, with talkSPORT’s Jamie O’Hara branding him a “disaster” back in November.
Journalist Josh Bunting was even more critical of the one-time Real Betis man the previous month, having stated that Emerson is “maybe the worst player to play for Tottenham in my lifetime”, such were the “dreadful” nature of his performances.
For all his possible improvement since then, there were still claims made over the summer that Spurs were looking to cash in on the player, hence why it may not be too long before he is replaced in Postecoglou’s squad.
If the Greek-Aussie is looking to find a suitable alternative to challenge Pedro Porro at right-back, then he may want to consider academy sensation, Tyrell Ashcroft…
Previously described as “promising” by journalist Andy Preston after joining the north Londoners from Reading last year, the 18-year-old had been handed four senior appearances for the Royals prior to that departure, receiving hefty praise from then-boss Veljko Paunovic:
“He is a fantastic lad, young, confident and has quality. He has an engine and is a very intelligent kid, so he has it all. I think he has a big future for our club. He is a big asset so we have to keep nourishing his talent and provide him with the best possible support so he can keep growing.”
While yet to feature for the first team in his new surroundings, the hope will be that the teenage right-back can also have a ‘big future’ at N17, having notably started all four Premier League 2 games so far this term for the club’s U21 side.
That consistent run of games will come as a real bonus to the talented youngster following his injury setback last term, with the full-back having missed the majority of the campaign after suffering an ACL injury in September 2022.
Thankfully for both his sake – and for Spurs – Ashcroft is now back fit and firing in the youth set-up, with the aforementioned Emerson likely needing to watch out if the Englishman can replicate the strong early impression that he showcased during his time at Reading.
With Postecoglou already putting faith in the likes of Destiny Udogie and Pape Matar Sarr this season, it would be no surprise if another youngster, like Ashcroft, is brought into the first-team fold sooner rather than later.
