Mauricio Pochettino has said he is “very happy” with Fernando Llorente’s performance against Fulham on Sunday.
Tottenham ran out 2-1 winners at Craven Cottage thanks to second half goals from Dele Alli and Harry Winks.
Llorente inadvertently put Fulham ahead with an own goal in the first half and missed two clear-cut chances to score at the correct end.
His display drew the ire of Spurs fans on social media. Not only did he fail to score, he also struggled to hold the ball up or lead the line with any kind of authority.
However, Pochettino was keen to praise the Spaniard in his post-match interview.
“I’m very happy. He fought over 90 minutes, he added his characteristic and quality,” the Tottenham boss said (via Football365).
“He had a few chances to score, he was a little bit unlucky. He’s now tired after 90 minutes in Premier League, but that’s normal.”
Pochettino’s appraisal is understandable. Criticising Llorente’s performance wouldn’t have any positive effect given the club’s current striker problems.
The 33-year-old was making only his second Premier League start for Spurs due to the absence of Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura.
Tottenham have been linked with a number of strikers since Kane’s injury, including Nikola Kalinic, Patrik Schick and even Andy Carroll.
Llorente is out of contract at the end of the season. It’s likely he will stay until then, meaning Spurs probably won’t buy a new striker this month.