Ange Postecoglou described the first semi-final of his Tottenham Hotspur career as “progress” for his injury-ravaged side, even if they were sweated out by a busy Manchester United. 4-3 win. “That’s one thing I appreciate them doing,” he said. “But they need the prize to win, and how it makes them feel, so they can go back to the well.”
Spurs will play against Liverpool in two legs in the last four Carabao CupThe first leg in North London will be held in the first week of January and the second at Anfield in the first week of February. The winner will face either Arsenal or Newcastle in the final at Wembley, and Postecoglou will be hoping his injury worries ease as those matches draw closer.
Ten senior players were missing for this quarter-final, with Timo Werner falling ill on the last matchday, but Postecoglou was full of praise for his makeshift side.
“Four goals in a bare bones squad is a huge achievement for the players,” he said. “We were tired in the second half, but I’m still proud of the effort of the players.”
Tottenham’s task was complicated by two uncharacteristic errors by goalkeeper Fraser Forster in the second half, giving United a 3–2 lead back into the game. But true to form, Postecoglou was in no mood to dissolve the possession-based principles on which he has built his coaching philosophy.
“It’s fair to say there have been quite a few of them in 26 years [errors],” he said. “But I’ve always felt that the pros outweigh the cons. I don’t think we would be a team if we didn’t maintain strong beliefs around our beliefs.”
United head coach, Reuben AmorimMarcus Rashford has again defended his decision to leave him out of his match-day squad. He said, “If I feel that I am doing the right thing for the team, it is never wrong. “The guys that came on the field [Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho] The game has changed.”
Amorim also claimed that his team was more in control than the scoreline. “We disconnected for eight minutes in the second half and it cost us the game,” he said. “We conceded a goal, and then we needed to have long possessions to settle the game. But I saw a team that knows what we want to do.”
