Former Tottenham Hotspur player Graham Roberts believes that Antonio Conte coming into the club gives Matt Doherty a lifeline.
Doherty has made six appearances in all competitions for Tottenham so far this season but is yet to start under new manager Conte, who took charge of the UEFA Europa Conference League match against Vitesse and also the Premier League match against Everton.
Do you think Antonio Conte will rotate his defence?
Yes
No
Despite not starting either game, when quizzed on whether he thinks Doherty has been given a lifeline because of Conte’s preferred system with wing-backs, Roberts told this is Futbol: “Well it’s a lifeline. I would think he’d go in there and say ‘everybody, you’ve all got a chance’, and it’s who gets out on that pitch and wants to show him how good they are.”
Conte was appointed Tottenham Head Coach earlier this month following the departure of Nuno Espirito Santo and penned a deal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium until the summer of 2023, with an option to extend.
The new head coach has opted to play with Emerson and Reguilon as wing-backs in his opening couple of games in charge of Spurs prior to the international break, with the defence keeping a clean sheet against Everton.
With that in mind, Conte may not look to change anything defensively for their next match against Leeds United and players who aren’t in the starting eleven will need to take their chance and impress when given the opportunity.