The recent claims that 'Jose Is Back' might have been a little premature.
Having led Spurs to the top of the table, it has been a difficult week for Jose Mourinho's side, who dropped points at Crystal Palace last weekend and lost to a late Firminho header at Anfield days later. A win against Leicester would have been crucial to avoid falling further behind Liverpool in the title race, but they didn't get off to an ideal start.
Just before half-time, a reckless shoulder-barge from Serge Aurier on Wesley Fofana just inside the Tottenham penalty area led to a VAR-approved penalty. Jamie Vardy gratefully converted it to put Leicester in front at the break as a stone-faced Jose Mourinho watched on.
🗣️ "There is a word for that... 'madness'"
🗣️ "That is a rugby tackle"
Fair to say Roy Keane and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink were not impressed with Serge Aurier's defending for the penalty pic.twitter.com/RQiftnb3LX— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 20, 2020
In the Sky studio, Roy Keane and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink were far from impressed with the indiscipline from Aurier to make such a challenge in a dangerous area.
(Hasselbaink): I've got no words for it, why in God's name are you needing to do this, right in the last minute - bang - this is just a rugby tackle. This is just...you don't do that.
He's trying to push the opponent out of the way but he's forgetting he's in the box, as simple as that. There are no words for it, that's a rugby tackle.
(Keane): There is a word for it - madness. I want to be careful what I say about this player, I've been down this road before with him. Utter madness. There's no danger, he's not in on goal, he's not looking at the ball. An experienced player. Madness.
He wasn't thinking. He doesn't think, this lad doesn't think.
As Keane referenced, this isn't the first time he has been publicly critical of Serge Aurier. In 2019, Keane described Tottenham full-backs Aurier and Danny Rose as 'dumb and dumber' following their performance in a defeat to Liverpool. Aurier responded and criticised Keane's approach as a pundit, accusing him of 'forgetting that he used to be a player.'
Things went from bad to worse in the second half for Tottenham as Leicester doubled their lead through a Toby Alderweireld own goal. Serge Aurier has recently established himself as Jose Mourinho's preferred right back ahead of Ireland's Matt Doherty, who may be waiting in the wings to return to first-team action should Mourinho begin to lose patience with the Frenchman.
