6 hours ago
32
Joao Palhinha has reacted strongly to Jamie Carragher after the former Liverpool man picked apart the Tottenham midfielder’s game.
Palhinha has made the most tackles across the Premier League this season, with the midfielder’s arrival being one of the key reasons for Tottenham’s defensive improvements.
The former Fulham man has also contributed in the final third, with four goals and two assists to his name so far this term.
However, his inability to progress the ball from midfield has been under the scanner, including by Carragher, who broke down the midfielder’s game on a Sky Sports MNF segment.
Carragher suggested that Palhinha’s shortcomings in possession are why no other big club wanted him this summer, and those words have not gone down well with the 30-year-old.
Joao Palhinha responds to Jamie Carragher
Palhinha has now confessed that the clip of Carragher’s criticism was sent to him, and labelled the pundit’s words as ’embarrassing’.
The on-loan Bayern Munich man insisted that he has been happy with his performances this term and suggested that the ex-Liverpool man should watch more of him.
Palhinha told The Guardian: “I saw it [the Carragher analysis] because some people sent it to me,” Palhinha says. “But what can I say? If he speaks bad things about [Cristiano] Ronaldo, he can speak about everyone. Some people need to speak about another to be on the screens on the TV. My life is not about that, definitely.
“It makes it a bit embarrassing seeing the ex-players speaking that way, and they sometimes look like superstars on their past. He should have seen probably more games of mine at Tottenham. I am doing a top season and the things that he says about me go to the back of my mind.
“I don’t care too much because we have a lot of people speaking about us and trying to drop us [down]. The way is how we react. The way I reacted after what he said was to score against Copenhagen [in the Champions League win three days later].”
Carragher praised Palhinha last month
Interestingly, just weeks before his critical comments about the midfielder, the Sky pundit was glowing in his praise for the 30-year-old.
In his Telegraph column last month, Carragher labelled Palhinha Tottenham’s best signing of the summer window and suggested that the Portuguese star was just the kind of player Spurs needed.
While it is fair game for the pundit to point out the Tottenham star’s weaknesses, perhaps he should have also mentioned the strengths that Palhinha possesses in the Sky Sports segment.
Have something to tell us about this article?
English (US) ·