Ange Postecoglou singled out Pedro Porro for praise after Tottenham’s 2-1 win over Liverpool, admitting that the right-back has adapted really well to the demands of the inverted right-back role.
It was only a few weeks ago that Gary Neville was questioning Porro’s ability to player an inverted full-back in the harshest possible terms, stating that the 23-year-old thinks he is ‘Rodri meets Xavi’ (Sky Sports).
It is fair to say that the jury was still out at the time about the Spaniard’s ability to play in that position as he had exclusively featured as a wing-back during the last couple of years and had shown some weaknesses defensively.
However, Postecoglou showed trust in Porro and the former Sporting Lisbon man is now repaying that trust, getting better and better with each game.
The right-back delivered what was arguably his best performance in a Tottenham shirt in the 2-1 win over Liverpool on Saturday.
Porro was flawless defensively, extremely tidy on the ball and made a big impact in the final third, with his low-cross being turned into his own net by Joel Matip in stoppage time to give Tottenham all three points.
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 19: Pedro Porro of Tottenham Hotspur looks on during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on August 19, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Chloe Knott – Danehouse/Getty Images)
Postecoglou is really impressed with Pedro Porro
Postecoglou told Spurs Play after the win over the Reds: “Pedro has been super. He didn’t start the first game but right from pre-season, he’s really adapted.
“Obviously, with our full-backs, we’re asking for a different type of role from what they’re used to but I think he and Destiny have adapted really well to it.
“They’re trying to learn, they’re trying to understand it. I think it suits him in many respects because he’s such a good footballer. Technically he’s a very good footballer and he’s also a great athlete. You could see it today.
“We needed both he and Destiny to be at it today, along with Micky because when you see the speed they have up front with the transition we were going to need our guys to be really on it defensively.”
Spurs Web Opinion
While we all knew of Porro’s quality on the ball, the Spaniard has demonstrated over the last couple of weeks that he is a fantastic one vs one defender, which I have been pleasantly surprised by.
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