“Abject”, “Bowling” and “Shame”.
These are all words used to describe the defeat in the semi-finals of the Carabao cup of Tottenham by Liverpool, while the spurs have struck new stockings in a full season.
The Ange Postcoglou team was beaten 4-0 in Anfield, abandoning an advantage of a goal from the first stage while their hope of winning a first trophy in 17 years ended with a steep way.
For the first time in a match under the Australian, whose teams are generally known for their style of attack, Tottenham failed to record a single shot on the target. They barely put a glove on Liverpool.
“I can’t put my head without having a blow on the target in the semi-finals. They were so abject,” said former Tottenham midfielder Jamie Redknapp on Sky Sports.
“I do not remember that a team in my lifetime drops with less combat than Tottenham today.
“There have been a few stockings but today, looking at this score, is simply horrible.”
Spurs have won only one trophy since Daniel Levy became president in 2001, although Postcoglou has raised the hope that their fortune will soon change when he declared in September that he would “always” something during of his second season.
Holding an advance of 1-0 before the second floor of a cutting semi-final may have presented its best chance of doing it-but Tottenham must now look elsewhere for silverware.
“I did not like the body language of the players of the Spurs – they were just jogging. With Liverpool’s attitude towards victory, they made a training game look,” said the Former defender of Manchester United Dion Dublin on BBC Radio 5 Live.
What happened to Ange-Ball in Anfield?
The last time these two sides met far from these two legs in the semi-finals, Liverpool won a Thriller 6-3 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the Premier League.
Another heavy defeat, but this performance of the Spurs was far from it. To far center of “Ange-Ball”-High tempo, High Line and Divertiding style fans have used Sub-Postecoglou.
In 6-3 defeat, they were open at the rear but were also set up to score. But Thursday, it was difficult to see where a goal comes from.
On average this season, Tottenham recorded 13.9 shots per 90 minutes, with 5.6 on the target.
In Anfield, they had five shots, without any on the target. They had only eight keys in the opposition box compared to the 55 of Liverpool. They succeeded in 41 passes in the last third compared to the Reds 147.
Former Spurs Defender Michael Dawson said: “I expected it to be like that? No. I expected that there was more players’ fight.
“They have not shown any character. In possession, outside possession, desire to keep the ball out of the back of the net. To come here and be beaten by four and not have shot on the target … C ‘was harmful. “
Postcoglou had clearly asked his team to sit deeply, sometimes with a back to five, to protect their advantage to a goal from the first leg.
It was very different from his usual style. And that didn’t pay.
Spurs have invited the pressure and could not respond to the future, with a new Mathys signature as making its debut on the bench but fighting to have an impact.
“Everyone seems to find a way to beat this Tottenham team,” said Redknapp. “And the manager right now, he sometimes confuses me with his tactics. I think he is completely lost in what he is trying to do.”
Did everything go badly in the midfield?
Tottenham’s problems cannot be analyzed without also solving their injury problems.
They currently have 10 players from the first team and this count could reach 11 after Richarlison lowered his calf in the first half and had to be replaced.
James Maddison is a clear lack in the middle of the park and, with Dominic Solanke and Brennan Johnson on the list of victims too, the Spurs had trouble for a outlet.
Liverpool has mastered the midfielder of the three men of Spurs while Yves Bissouma had trouble, giving the ball for the opening of the hosts, and Rodrigo Bentancur offered little defense or attack.
“When I look at these three midfielders today, they were a shame,” said former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher.
“Get them afterwards, be aggressive, maybe forget the ball during the first half hour. It was so easy for Liverpool.”
The Heung-Min son was also unable to reach the summits he has in previous seasons and rarely resembles man to find a moment of magic.
Carragher added: “It goes back to this stereotype that we all have with Tottenham. There is certainly a mental block with the club.
“Right now, it’s a typical Tottenham team. People say about angel, fans have recovered the spurs, they recovered their club.
“Yeah … they recovered the club that we all looked at for 40 years. They are nice on our eyes when things are fine, but they never win a big match and when they are fighting seriously . “
Has the best chance of Tottenham disappeared?
The shape of Tottenham in the Premier League was miserable – they are seated in 14th with only eight victories on the board of directors.
But the potential of a second season trophy maintained fans of the Spurs Faith in Postcoglou.
The 59 -year -old man won the Australian title with South Melbourne and Brisbane Roar, and the Japanese League with Yokohama F Marinos – all during his second season or second full season. He won trophies during his two seasons in Celtic – including a triple domestic in his second.
There are three clubs with which he failed to win trophies, but he did not see two seasons in charge – Panachaiki, Whittlesea Zebras and Melbourne Victory.
Spurs have now wasted one – perhaps the best – of their three chances of bringing silverware north of London.
“We have abandoned a good opportunity tonight and we cannot avoid this,” said Postcoglou.
“We were in good position to arrive at the final.”
However, all hope is not lost.
Although they are now faced with the difficult perspective of Aston Villa in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday, they have also already reached the last 16 of the Europa League.
Opta Marque Tottenham’s “supercompute” as a second favorite to win this competition with 15% of success, only behind the Italian side Lazio (19%).
Athletic Bilbao also has 15% chance, while Manchester United has a 10% chance of lifting the trophy.
Return spotlight on postocoglou
Consecutive victories after a series of three victories in 10 games temporarily masked which was a hot season at times for Postcoglou.
Fans have withdrawn their frustrations on Levy and the property in recent weeks rather than their manager, but Postcoglou has received reinforcements in the transfer window and this loss put the spotlight on the boss – whose side to the Manchester United team , Ipswich and Manchester City in their next three championship games.
“I guess Liverpool deserved victory,” said Postcoglou. They were the much better team – we could not get a grip of the game.
“We allowed them to participate in the match and we were not as aggressive as we were to be. We did not start the game in the right base.
“It was very difficult for us to fight against this control.”
