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Chris Sutton simply can’t believe what he’s heard about Pedro Porro at Tottenham now
Chris Sutton has jumped to Tottenham Hotspur defender Pedro Porro’s defence after what has been a difficult start to life in north London for the Spaniard.
Porro’s defending has come under some scrutiny since arriving at Tottenham from Sporting Lisbon in January.
The 23-year-old was expected to thrive in the wing-back role under Antonio Conte, with Spurs obligated to make his loan switch permanent this summer.
Yet, his defensive weaknesses have been exposed on numerous occasions over the past couple of months, particularly in the 6-1 defeat at Newcastle United.
The former Manchester City man played as a full-back at St James’ Park and endured a torrid afternoon.
But Chris Sutton has told that the responsibility rests solely with Cristian Stellini, rather than Porro.
Sutton defends Porro
Speaking on The Monday Night Club, Sutton labelled suggestions from Micah Richards that Porro cannot defend as ‘ridiculous’.
“I said the manager is in charge for making you be able to play at the best of their ability, so if you have wing-backs, I wouldn’t play them at full-backs because their strengths are not defending,” Richards said.
“That is ridiculous, Micah [Richards],” Sutton responded. “To suggest that they can’t defend at all. That’s absolutely ridiculous.”
But Richards replied: “Chris, they are at Newcastle. They are flying. [Ivan] Perisic, what is he known for? His technical ability, his crossing, his whipping in.
“Yeah, he works hard, he’s a team player. Porro the exact same. Going down the line, getting in a cross.
“If you’re up against Newcastle who are flying and you are asked to defend wave after wave of attack that’s on the manager for putting you in that position and then it’s on the player to at least have a go.”
It’s certainly been a difficult first couple of months for Porro as he has struggled to adapt to Premier League football.
His defending was a cause for concern even while playing as a wing-back, so it was a bizarre decision to play him as a full-back against an in-form Newcastle side.
But it’s still early days for the Spaniard and Tottenham will be hopeful that Ryan Mason can get the best out of him after Stellini’s departure.