As two of the more expensive players in the current Tottenham squad, Emerson Royal and Lucas Moura have a lot to prove. Fans have found the inconsistency of Moura – the hero of Amsterdam in 2019 – maddening for years. Royal surprises with his energy and enthusiasm, but frustrates with his inconsistent technique. For both players, the 2021-22 season has been a bit of a write-off. Royal arrived late, struggled to break into the team at first, and when he did play at first he looked an absolute mess at times.
Form has improved under Antonio Conte, but still to nowhere near the levels that Spurs would have been expecting. Given his form in Spain had him going back to FC Barcelona – albeit temporarily – it was clear there was a player hiding beneath what was seen. Moura, meanwhile, has found it hard to get regular game time under Conte and has often flattered to deceive since that crazy night in Amsterdam.
That being said, the duo are expected to stick around this summer and the club are hoping to see more from them next year. Royal is a natural fit for the wing-back role that the coach employs, while Moura would potentially make an ideal choice either on the wings or through the middle in a 3-5-2 setup. Conte has known to favour both 3-5-2 and 3-4-3 formations, and both players can fit into that tactical remit.
Interestingly, with Conte happy to move on from so many of the players he inherited, many expected both players to be out the door this summer. However, Conte is apparently a big fan of both and sees them as the ideal depth options needed in two crucial positions in his attacking line-up.
Can Royal and Moura find form again in 2022?
The challenge for Spurs fans is to get over their current preconceptions of both players. In the case of Royal, he is only here for one season so far and has learned English on the fly. In fact, his relationship with Moura was recently shown when he noted he has gotten rid of Moura as his English tutor as he kept teaching him the wrong words!
Moura has been a victim of the post-2019 flux that has engulfed the club and left it struggling to really build on that era. The player himself has been inconsistent, but the constant changing of coaches and systems has done little to help him get into the form he has shown in the past. Moura has the excuse, as does Royal, that this season was not really there for anyone to show their best football.
With the mood in the camp improving and the chance of UEFA Champions League football becoming more realistic, the hope is that both players can continue to settle in better. With a coach in Conte leading the charge, both players could play a key role in his system which is as attack-minded as Spurs have been in a long time.
Leave a Reply