Charlie Nicholas: This Tottenham ace was exposed against West Ham
By Amir Mir
Charlie Nicholas believes Tottenham ace Kyle Walker was “exposed” during his side’s 1-0 defeat at the hands of West Ham on Friday night.
Right-back Walker, who was dropped to the bench for the 2-0 win against Arsenal last time out, returned to the starting XI against the Hammers.
However, he struggled with the movement of Manuel Lanzini throughout the match as the playmaker continually found space every time Walker got forward.
Lanzini eventually scored the winning goal in the second half when the Spurs defence failed to pick him up from inside the penalty area.
Speaking on Soccer Saturday, which aired on Sky Sports News, Nicholas suggested that Trippier was unfortunate to be dropped for the match.
“People are talking about him because he [Walker] might be interested in other parties, so what if he is?” Nicholas said on Sky Sports.
“He’s in there and considering Trippier played really well the other week, he is probably lucky to be in the team. And after the performance (against West Ham) Lanzini exposed him a little bit.”
In recent weeks, Walker had lost his place in the starting XI to backup man Kieran Trippier, who has impressed when given the opportunity.
Mauricio Pochettino opted to play Trippier in the so-called much bigger games for Spurs, such as the FA Cup semi-final defeat against Chelsea and the north London derby against Arsenal.
Over the course of the season, Walker has played 38 games in all competitions, including playing 32 league matches.
The England international will be looking to keep his place in the team when Pochettino prepares for a tough home tie against Manchester United on May 14.
It will be the final match to be played at White Hart Lane as Spurs prepare to move into their new stadium for the 2018/19 campaign.
In other Tottenham news, Paul Merson has blasted Mauricio Pochettino for getting this wrong against West Ham.
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