4/10 Tottenham midfielder slammed by journo for lacklustre show against Sunderland

The winter signing was criticised as Tottenham lost to Sunderland.

Conor Gallagher’s underwhelming display at the Stadium of Light encapsulated everything wrong with Tottenham Hotspur’s season as Roberto De Zerbi’s tenure began with a deflating 1-0 defeat to Sunderland. The midfielder, who arrived in January with considerable fanfare, offered little in possession. Nordi Mukiele easily bypassed Gallagher for his decisive deflected strike.

Alasdair Gold, speaking on his YouTube channel, highlighted the tactical deployment that saw Archie Gray, who’s arguably Spurs’ most consistent performer this season, touch the ball just 23 times despite featuring as the single pivot. The England U21 international, often highlighted as the big metronome in the side, yet the team consistently bypassed him, favouring long balls that played directly into Sunderland’s hands. Gallagher, however, was the most ineffective, as per some.

“He gives the impression of always looking busy, but you’d actually be hard-pressed to kind of jot anything down that he’s done that’s worthwhile and actually contributes to the cause.”

“He’s not experienced winning a match with Tottenham in the Premier League since he arrived. That is a pretty awful feeling I would imagine. It probably makes you feel like you are some kind of jinx to the team.”

Conor Gallagher aside, there were other Tottenham stars who were disappointing as well

The midfield pairing of the 4/10 Gallagher and 6/10 Gray was a throwback to Thomas Frank’s brief spell in charge earlier this season. That had already been abandoned once for good reason. De Zerbi’s decision to resurrect it suggested either a lack of alternatives or insufficient time on the training ground to implement his preferred system.

Lucas Bergvall was also not impressive. The boss took him off shortly after. The Swedish midfielder’s afternoon looked completely off the pace, unable to influence proceedings in the number ten role.

The defensive fragility was equally alarming. Cristian Romero departed in tears after a collision with goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, capping a miserable afternoon struggling against Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey. Micky van de Ven, whose deflection proved decisive, endured another chastening display.