Ange Postecoglou sends clear message to Jamie Donley and Dane Scarlett in Tottenham win v Burnley
Ange Postecoglou’s triple substitution in the 83rd minute of the FA Cup tie between Tottenham and Burnley was a clear message to two of his youngest talents.
Spurs advanced to the fourth round of the FA Cup on Friday 5 January, narrowly edging out a stubborn Burnley side at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Pedro Porro’s stunning strike in the 78th minute was the only goal to separate the two sides in a match which was relatively low on quality throughout.
After falling at the first hurdle of the Carabao Cup back in August, Postecoglou would have been keen to avoid the same fate in England’s oldest cup competition, and will likely just be grateful that his side are in the hat for the next round, despite a lacklustre performance.
The Australian’s desire to win the match was made clear ahead of kick-off as he named more or less the strongest team he had available to him, making just two changes from the team which beat Bournemouth 3-1 in the Premier League on New Year’s Eve, two changes which were forced.
Son Heung-min and Pape Matar Sarr are both unavailable due to international commitments at the Asia Cup and AFCON and were replaced by Dejan Kulusevski and Oliver Skipp.
After a gruelling December period in which games arrived thick and fast, Postecoglou and his players will be delighted to have more than a week of rest, and the 58-year-old was clearly keen to make one last push on Friday night with that rest in mind, opting not to start with any of his younger squad players, as Premier League managers normally tend to do in the early rounds of the cup.
However, while these players weren’t handed starts, two of the club’s most exciting young talents were introduced in the closing minutes of the match, as Jamie Donley and Dane Scarlett replaced Rodrigo Bentancur and Richarlison as part of a triple change which also saw Brennan Johnson make way for the returning Ryan Sessegnon.
Bringing Donley and Scarlett on with another ten minutes left at the minimum, while the game is so finely poised in the balance, is a clear sign from Postecoglou that he trusts the young pair of strikers.
It is incredible to think that both players are the same age, 19, considering the different trajectories they have been on.
Donley has only just emerged on the first-team radar at Spurs, while Scarlett has already experienced loan spells in EFL League One and the Championship, having made his senior debut for Tottenham when he was still just 16 years old.
Regardless of their pasts, the message from Postecoglou was clear when he introduced them both at the same time, as he demonstrated to them that he views them both equally, and they must now compete with one another and continue to prove to the 58-year-old that they should be offered more first-team minutes.
Against Burnley, they did relatively well, as they both completed 100 per cent of their passes, although Donley’s one key ball and successful ground duel meant he made more of an impact (Sofascore).
With Son away at the Asia Cup with South Korea, and Alejo Veliz out injured, there will be plenty of opportunities for Donley and Scarlett to get on the pitch, and they must now prove themselves to jump ahead in Postecoglou’s pecking order at Hotspur Way.
In other Tottenham news, Spurs’ hopes of signing a youth sensation from Ajax this month have hit a stumbling block.