Jamie Carragher and Roy Keane were scathing in their analysis of Archie Gray and a second Tottenham \u201cculprit\u201d in their defeat to Sunderland on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Spurs failed to reap the reward of a new-manager bounce<\/a> as defeat in Roberto De Zerbi\u2019s first game in charge saw them end the weekend in the relegation zone, two points from safety.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Spurs victims of \u2018borderline corruption\u2019 or their own \u2018bone-headed arrogance\u2019?<\/a><\/p>\n Nordi Mukiele\u2019s goal was the difference between the sides and Carragher was eager to point out that Spurs weren\u2019t as \u201cunlucky\u201d as reports suggested at losing to the deflected strike.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve got five Tottenham players here almost like a cage, all facing Mukiele,\u201d Carragher said while analysing the goal on Sky Sports\u2019 Monday Night Football<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cHe [Mukiele] has to go there [pointing down the line]. It can\u2019t be any other way. So five players around. So when you say you\u2019re unlucky, that, for me, is not unlucky. That can\u2019t be allowed to happen.<\/p>\n \u201cThe two biggest culprit to me are the two midfield players, Archie Gray and Conor Gallagher, in this position.<\/p>\n If I tell you now, this where somebody is going to score from [points to the edge of the box] that is not unlucky. It\u2019s not. It can\u2019t be.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat is not unlucky. It can\u2019t be!\u201d@Carra23<\/a> and Roy Keane analyse Spurs\u2019 defending in their defeat to Sunderland \ud83d\udd0d pic.twitter.com\/3qv32ytxJC<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 13, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Also taking aim at the midfield pair, Keane added: \u201cThey\u2019re not great technically on the ball, and they\u2019re not comfortable getting the ball, then they better be good defensively.<\/p>\n \u201cGallagher has just got to slow down there. It\u2019s far too easy. And Archie Gray has got to get out there [to close down Mukiele], leave the runner. That\u2019s far too easy.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd when you\u2019re when you\u2019re down there fighting for your lives, these are big moments. And again, it\u2019s not unlucky. It\u2019s got to be stopped earlier.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a bit of football intelligence, spot the danger. Again, slow it down and show them into wide areas. That, to me, that\u2019s the basics. You\u2019ve got to do the basics right when you\u2019re down there.\u201d<\/p>\n READ MORE: Premier League winners and losers: Manchester City, Arsenal, West Ham, De Zerbi, Thiago, Rosenior<\/a><\/p>\n Carragher believes the midfield is the big \u201cworry\u201d for De Zerbi as their relegation rivals have superior players in that area of the pitch.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to pick on young players, because I actually think [Lucas] Bergvall and Archie Gray have actually they\u2019ve been two of the better players for Tottenham.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I was really worried yesterday after the game, and it was because of the midfield area. The two young kids learning the trade that are supposed to be getting you out of a relegation battle.<\/p>\n \u201cConor Gallagher\u2019s come in who the manager likes, because he\u2019s tried to buy him, but it just hasn\u2019t worked for him so far at Spurs. We know he\u2019s been a decent Premier League player, but it\u2019s just not happened for him at all, and that has been a problem from the very start of the season in their central midfield.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the teams they\u2019re fighting, West Ham have got a better central midfield than Tottenham, so have Nottingham Forest, and so have Leeds. So that is my one big worry for Tottenham in terms of going down.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd when you think about what De Zerbi can do different, he needs to fix the midfield, because that has been a problem for three managers already.\u201d<\/p>\n Keane then again attempted to find something they\u2019re good at and failed.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cWhen you\u2019re thinking about what they\u2019re really good at \u2013 because you have to hang your hat and something if you\u2019re going to play in the Premier League \u2013 are they really good going forward? Are they a goal threat? No, not really.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re not technically great. They\u2019re not good at getting on the half turn. Are they amazing defensively? They\u2019re not great at that either.\u201d<\/p>\n READ MORE: Premier League predicted final table: Spurs doomed as De Zerbi bounce fails<\/a><\/p>\n