Cristian Stellini says Richarlison’s disastrous debut season at Tottenham Hotspur could have happened to any international striker.
The Brazilian, a £60 million signing from Everton last summer, is in danger of ending the season without a single Premier League goal. Injuries have played a part in that, and the 25-year-old has recovered sufficiently from the most recent setback to be able to play a part in Saturday’s visit of Bournemouth.
But just two goals in 27 games for his club this season – both in the Champions League against Marseille in September – represents a spectacularly poor return for such an outlay by anyone’s standards. Stellini, in his third game as Antonio Conte’s temporary replacement as manager, was unwilling to be as scathing as the player’s critics, however.
“These are things that can happen in a season when you have many injuries, when you have a lot of problems, when you are not consistent in your training, you are not consistent in your performance,” he said. “It could be normal that a striker has a season like this.”
Richarlison, who began his career in England as a teenager at Watford in 2017, has nevertheless netted seven goals for Brazil since the end of last season, including three in the World Cup finals. “We speak now a lot about confidence and the way he needs to stay calm to not force himself too much,” Stellini added.
“It’s one week he has worked with us. It’s important that he feels involved in the next game.” Stellini has also promised attacking football from now and the end of the season, although it is likely to be served up by the same tactics employed by Conte as Spurs aim to cut into a three-point gap between themselves and Newcastle and Manchester United in the Champions League qualification slots.
“We have to play attacking football,” promised the Italian, whose side were lucky to beat Brighton last week. “We are trying to push more to create more chances, to try to shoot more on target, to create something that can create a good atmosphere in the stadium and to get the crowd behind us.”
Conte’s favoured 3-4-3 formation, hardly beloved of the supporters because of its reactive nature, looks set to stay, however.
“Do you remember how many goals we scored last season?” Stellini countered. “There are different styles of football. You bring the crowd with you if you go strong.
