Tottenham defender Emerson Royal has had his fair share of criticism since joining the club.
However, the 23-year-old Brazilian right-back is starting to impress with his performances but journalist Paul Brown believes that he is unlikely to become a fan favourite at the London club.
He told GiveMeSport: “What a big goal he (Emerson) scored (against West Ham). They were really struggling in that game against West Ham until he managed to score.
“He still has moments when he doesn’t look like a Premier League player at all and did so in that game, but he seems to have found a new lease of life.
“I can’t see Emerson Royal ever becoming a huge fan favourite at Tottenham.
“But I think there probably is a little bit of grudging respect for him, in the sense that he’s managed to ride out this rough patch to get back in the team and perform when needed.”
Emerson put in an outstanding display against Manchester City earlier this season and he was quite impressive against West Ham and Chelsea in the recent league games as well.
The defender was expected to leave the club during the January transfer window but Antonio Conte chose to hold on to him and decided to let Djed Spence and Matt Doherty leave instead. At the time, the decision seemed surprising but the Italian’s choice has certainly paid dividends and Emerson has shown considerable improvement in recent weeks.
It remains to be seen whether he can continue to impress with his performances and hold down a regular starting berth in the coming months.
Tottenham signed Pedro Porro from Sporting CP during the January window and the Spaniard will be hoping to cement his place as the first-choice right-back at the club.
It remains to be seen whether Emerson can battle it out with him for a starting spot.
The increased competition for places will certainly delight the fans and the manager. It will help both players improve and stay on their toes. They will be desperate to make their mark whenever given a chance.
