Tottenham, Spurs, Premier League. Ivan Perisic, FA Cup, Antonio Conte
Tottenham star Ivan Perisic has been criticised for his 4/10 display last night as Spurs crash out of the FA Cup fifth round to Sheffield United.
The Lowdown: Spurs defeated…
Antonio Conte‘s side, once again lead by assistant coach Cristian Stellini in his absence, failed to exert their quality and ultimately succumbed to a humbling loss at Bramall Lane.
The north Londoners have won four out of their last five Premier League games, keeping four clean sheets in the process, but a plucky United side kept persevering till the final stages.
Stellini’s men created few openings and spurned any opportunities they did have, perhaps highlighted by an uncharacteristic missed free header from star striker Harry Kane late on.
Senegal international Iliman Ndiaye punished the away side with a brilliant solo goal to clinch United a 1-0 win on the night, dashing Tottenham’s hopes of any silverware this season.
The Latest: Media slate Perisic…
Members of the media have criticised Perisic in particular for his performance, stating:
“Offered little in the way of thrust or service from wing-back.” – Journalist Dan Kilpatrick, after giving Perisic a 4/10 match rating (via Evening Standard).
“Possible that despite being a free transfer, Perisic will ultimately still be remembered as a massive waste of money?” – James Maw, editor for The Athletic (via Twitter).
“Son, Perisic, Richarlison made to look average players. Quite a feature.” – Andreas Thau Loftager, Spurs podcaster (via Twitter).
“Of all the players we’ve signed in the last 3-4 years, Ivan Perisic was someone I was convinced would be a success. Instead, he’s been one of the worst. His set piece delivery has meant his stats look respectable to those who don’t watch him every week. But he’s so, so bad.” – Andrew Gaffney, football writer (via Twitter).
The Verdict: Off night…
In terms of going forward and contributing in the attacking areas, there is a major argument to be made that the former Inter Milan star had a real off night.
According to SofaScore, Perisic lost possession a mammoth 34 times, completing just 58% of his passes against the Championship high-flyers.
The 34-year-old also found just one out of 11 attempted crosses, not to mention squandering over half of his long balls over 90 minutes.
While he did create one big chance and won the vast majority of his duels, both in the air and on the ground, this performance from Perisic could go down as one of his more regrettable.
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