The Athletic have revealed that the opinion at Sporting Lisbon was that Pedro Porro needed defensive protection behind him to play at his best.
Porro’s defensive work has come under scrutiny since his move to Tottenham, with the 23-year-old particularly struggling when asked to play as a conventional right-back during the 6-1 drubbing at St James’ Park.
However, the Spaniard has always shown plenty of promise going forward and he was one of Spurs’ most threatening players in the win over Crystal Palace on Sunday, where he had the defensive insurance of Emerson Royal behind him.
The Athletic have now explained that at Porro’s former club, the view was that he could ‘excel’ if he had the right system and payers around him.
It is explained that Ruben Amorim asked the Spaniard to play ‘almost as a winger’ and played extremely disciplined and positionally aware defensive midfielders to cover for him when he forwayed forward.
(Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)
Spurs Web Opinion
Porro has the attributes to be an excellent wing-back in a side that dominates possession. However, the 23-year-old might struggle to fit in if Tottenham’s next head coach prefers setting up with a back four.
In fact, the characteristics of our current squad are heavily skewed toward playing with a back three, which is something that the club might consider during their managerial search.
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