Chadder View: Tottenham must capitalise on FA Cup draw going in their favour
Matthew Chadder is a lifelong Tottenham fan who grew up just down the road from his beloved club in North London. He’s now putting his passion for Spurs into words with a daily fan view for Tottenham News…
During the second round of the Carabao Cup, Ange Postecoglou made one of his very few mistakes so far as Tottenham manager.
With the absence of European football this season, there was no excuse for Postecoglou to name the team he did against Fulham on 29 August.
Yes, we don’t have the biggest squad in the league, and while it is perhaps in hindsight a blessing in disguise that we are no longer in the Carabao Cup considering the injury crisis we find ourselves in, Postecoglou did not know that in August.
One of Middlesbrough or Port Vale will be in the final four of the Carabao Cup, which just highlights that there was a real opportunity for Spurs to go and win this trophy, end the drought and build on such a monumental moment.
Yes Liverpool and Newcastle both remain in the competition, but they are also in Europe, they have bigger fish to fry. There is no reason why we couldn’t have beaten either of those teams in the final.
But instead, we were knocked out in August, before the majority of our Premier League rivals had even checked the schedule to see when they would be entering the competition. It was a mistake, but it is forgivable, Postecoglou just cannot make the same error again.
These cup competitions might not seem important to many, but to us fans, they mean a lot. After all, following five impressive years under Mauricio Pochettino where we made a Champions League final and finished second in the Premier League, the question was always; but what did he win?
So if those same people asking Pochettino what he won during an illustrious five years at Spurs are suggesting that the FA Cup and Carabao Cup are of no importance, then I am quite confused to be perfectly honest.
The FA Cup and the Carabao Cup are important. We’re out of one of those, but we have been handed a very nice lifeline in the other one.
There were certainly much easier draws than Burnley at home, but there is still no excuse for us not to win that third-round tie, and I want to see Postecoglou go all out for it.
With Liverpool and Arsenal being pitted against each other and Newcastle facing a tricky trip to arch-rivals Sunderland amid a packed schedule, there is a real opportunity for a few big sides to go out before the fourth round, and Tottenham should really be looking to target a run in the FA Cup.
After all, if Postecoglou could end Spurs’ trophy drought in his first season after the impressive start he has already made, he would instantly become a modern Tottenham legend, and the confidence it would bring the club and himself going forward would be immense.
Spurs do have injuries and an already thin squad, but a few extra FA Cup games here and there shouldn’t be too taxing, and I hope that Postecoglou and the players don’t view them as a hindrance, but rather an opportunity, because I know I am.
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