Winning at Chelsea was one step beyond Mauricio Pochettino’s battered and bruised Tottenham side on Thursday night, but as the Spurs boss defended and praised the valiant effort of his players, it was hard to disagree with him.
Few managers will lash out at their players after defeat at such point in a competition, especially on penalties, but it is often just to save face.
Granted, Tottenham should have dominated Maurizio Sarri’s side in the first leg and taken more than just the narrow one-goal lead to Stamford Bridge. Eric Dier and Lucas Moura should have taken better penalties and their first half performance did not merit much from the game. However, taken in the context of this perfect storm of a season, it is hard to throw too much criticism at this Tottenham side.
Pochettino has his hands tied on so many fronts. A squad without investment, still recovering from a World Cup in which most of his key players went the distance - of the 12 to have gone to Russia just two have avoided injury this season - and missing three of the main men in Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Heung-min Son.
Summer signings could have covered the injury problems elsewhere in the squad, shortages which resulted in Harry Winks and, more significantly, Moussa Sissoko, who again hobbled off on Thursday night, worked to the bone over Christmas. However, take three such key figures from any squad, regardless of investment, and see how they get on. Liverpool have invested heavily and wisely to mount their title challenge, but remove Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino and no new addition to paper that chasm.
Pochettino was forced to call on Eric Dier, making his first start in over a month, and Sissoko, back in training this week, to field a strong side in west London and saw his squad thinned once more before the game was out. Ben Davies was forced off in the first half with a slight groin problem. Danny Rose shone in his place from the bench but he himself requested to be brought off only to have to remain on when Sissoko’s injury meant he had to be replaced as the final change.
For Pochettino, losing out on an EFL Cup will not hurt for too long.
The team was so good. I feel so proud. I’m so happy with the performance and the way we fought. After two amazing games I praise my players."
Critics, the pool of which is narrowing week by week, will continue to point to his lack of silverware and, while fans clamour for success, he is not wrong in stating that one League Cup will not change the fabric of this club overnight.
What will change the club, slowly but surely, is the vindication that they are doing things the right way to get through these fixtures.
The manager says nights like Thursday and seasons like this can only make his Tottenham stronger. They have faced them before and will likely face them again, but things are changing.
Spurs are beginning to prove they can win the important games. While those on the pitch are rising to the occasion, as is the man knitting things together.
A longstanding criticism of Pochettino has been his inability to make game-changing decisions, and it cost his side against Juventus and Man Utd in Europe and the FA Cup last season. His half time tweak this week, moving to a back three and pushing the full-backs further forward, brought about the goal which took the game to penalties. Had Kane, Son or Alli been stepping up to the penalty spot, there may well have been no defeat to pick apart, but we will never know.
The progression must now continue to those bigger competitions, though. They are the focus and the arena’s where Pochettino’s Tottenham tenure will be judged. Rather fittingly for this season, however, they will again have to wait, with just two days of rest before visiting Crystal Palace in the FA Cup on Sunday to do it all again.
