Carragher, Neville slam Tottenham ‘liability’ who needs to be dropped by Conte

Joe Williams
Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher speak about Tottenham

Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville have both criticised Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris after his performance in Spurs’ 4-2 loss to Manchester City on Thursday night.

Goals from Dejan Kulusevski and Emerson Royal put them 2-0 up at half-time against Pep Guardiola’s men before the Citizens came roaring back in the second half to win.

Man City won thanks to goals from Julian Alvarez, Erling Haaland and Riyad Mahrez’s double and Tottenham have now lost more ground in their fight to finish in the top four.

Conte’s men are five points adrift of fourth-placed Newcastle United, who have a game in hand on them, and a further point behind third-placed Manchester United, who have also played fewer games.

And former Liverpool defender Carragher identified Lloris as a big “liability” for Tottenham with the France international beaten at his near post for Mahrez’s second goal of the game.

Carragher said on Sky Sports: “The goalkeeper for Tottenham right now has been a good goalkeeper for Tottenham. He’s now become a liability and they need to change it.

“They need a new goalkeeper for next season. Antonio Conte has been talking about taking them further – they need a new goalkeeper, they need two centre-backs, they need a right wing-back. That’s not to come into the squad, that’s to play.

“That’s exactly what they need. Conte hasn’t got the players he wants to play his way, which is defensive, counter-attacking football. He’s got the attacking players but he hasn’t got the defenders to get him clean sheets.”

His latest error came after making a howler in the north London derby last weekend when the Tottenham goalkeeper parried a Saka cross into his own net.

And speaking of Lloris latest gaffe, Neville insists that the Frenchman “has to save” the shot from Man City attacker Mahrez at his near post.

“The goalkeeper, I have to say, is in a poor run of form. He has to save that,” Neville said.

“He hits that well, Mahrez, but that cannot go past him at the near post. Despite the deflection, he has to stop that going in.”

But Neville was keen to give Mahrez some praise with the Algeria international contributing eight goals and two assists in his last nine matches in all competitions for City.

Neville added: “But he has been outstanding. [The] top man in the first 20 minutes of this second half.”

READ MORE: Spurs spectacularly out-Spurs themselves as Mahrez dazzles for slow-starting Manchester City