Emerson is a ‘great’ player and he doesn’t need to apologise for pointing the finger for Tottenham issues – pundit
Noel Whelan has claimed Nuno Espirito Santo was to blame for not getting the best out of Emerson Royal at Tottenham.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Leeds striker insisted the Portuguese boss needed to address the language barrier with 22-year-old.
In an interview with Pro:Direct Soccer (15th November), Emerson revealed Nuno and his coaches only spoke to him in English in training and that he “didn’t understand anything”.
He took to Twitter days later to clarify his comments, insisting he never meant to criticise the Portuguese manager.
However, Whelan has claimed the defender has nothing to apologise for.
He suggested Nuno should have found a way to get his message across to the summer signing.
Asked if he thought Emerson needed to apologise, Whelan told Football Insider’s Russell Edge: “Not really, no. Everyone’s got that freedom of speech to say what they want to say, to a certain extent.
“The manager is not there now. I think it’s down to player and manager to break that barrier down with an explanation of how you want him to play and what you’re looking to get out of him.
“Leeds United do that with Marcelo Bielsa. You’ve got to have that middleman that can explain or else you’re never going to get the best out of a player.
“If he doesn’t understand his role and know what he’s doing on the field, you’re not going to get that best performance out of him. You’re not going to get what you’re looking for as a manager from that particular player.
“You’ve got to break down barriers when it comes to foreign players coming into football club. It’s as simple as that. You’ve got to find a way of explaining it.
“If it’s not through footballing terms and it’s through voice and visual, you’ve got to be able to get it down and get it out of these players.
“He’s a fantastic player. It was the best game he’s played. He was everywhere, he seemed to know his role and he played it perfectly.
“You could see what a great player he is, especially getting into the final third and how dangerous he was.
“Conte is going into Tottenham. There are lots of different nationalities, but you’ve got to find a way to get what you want.
“Both collectively from the football team and as individuals as well. You’ve got to know your role and your job.”
In other news, a Tottenham insider has revealed Spurs tried to use Davinson Sanchez in part-exchange deal.