"Can't really make much of a defence": Sky Sports reporter slams Spurs ace who Mourinho signed

Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge reckons that Matt Doherty’s form for Tottenham is becoming indefensible.

It’s been a stop-start 18 months since the defender was signed for £15m under Jose Mourinho, although he has featured heavily in the New Year.

Doherty’s latest outing came against Wolves on Sunday, but the 25-cap Republic of Ireland international once again failed to impress Antonio Conte.

It would be harsh to single out Doherty for his showing considering Spurs were woeful as a team, but the 30-year-old didn’t exactly cover himself in glory.

While neither goal came down his side and his defensive performance wasn’t disastrous, he simply isn’t offering what he once was going forward. This was Doherty’s sixth start in the last eight games, so he no longer has a case for not being up to scratch because he hasn’t played enough.

His 45-minute cameo at Leicester aside, he’s done little in the way of making a case to be Conte’s first-choice right-sided player. According to WhoScored, he had more touches than anyone else on the pitch (95), but failed to complete a single key pass, create a single opportunity for one of his teammates, or successfully dribble past an opponent in what was another drab display.

With Emerson Royal in and out of the side, and Japhet Tanganga currently out injured, Sunday was the latest chance for Doherty to prove himself, but it proved a wasted one.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “Can’t really make much defence for him. I know he’s had to play left wing-back sometimes, but I can’t sit here and say he needs more chances, because he has had chances.”

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It wasn’t just going forward that Doherty looked short of quality. Whenever Wolves attacked