Tottenham Hotspur’s difficult season took a further hit with a crushing 4-0 defeat to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg.
The heavy loss not only ended their hopes of winning silverware but also added to their ongoing struggles in the Premier League, where they currently sit 14th.
Pundit Troy Deeney did not hold back in his criticism of the team, accusing Spurs players of giving up on manager Ange Postecoglou during the dismal performance at Anfield.
Troy Deeney says Tottenham players quit on Ange Postecoglou
The former Watford forward highlighted a worrying lack of leadership, noting that only Son Heung-min stepped forward for a post-match interview while Postecoglou was left to handle the rest alone.
He emphasised the importance of experienced players stepping up to take responsibility during difficult moments.
Writing in The Sun, Deeney stated:
“Anyone who has played the game will tell you most of those Spurs players quit, gave up.
“Not on each other or themselves, but quit on the manager, the fan base, everything.
“I made headlines by once saying Arsenal lacked ‘cojones’, but just look at this Tottenham team. They bottled it. They collapsed through fear. If that group look at themselves in the mirror and say: ‘We gave it everything’, then they’re liars. They’re lying to themselves and they’re lying to the fans.
“Where are the leaders? I was in the tunnel at full-time around all the post-match interviews. I only saw one player do one, and that was Son. Other than that, Ange did all of them. That to me says it all. One of the experienced lads should have taken a few of those off the manager’s hands. Take ownership.”
While the criticism has merit, it is important to consider the mounting injury crisis that has left Tottenham severely depleted. With primary centre-backs Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven sidelined, Spurs had no choice but to field new signing Kevin Danso for his debut in such a high-stakes match.
To make matters worse, #9 Richarlison was forced off just before halftime due to injury, prompting Postecoglou to introduce another debutant, Mathys Tel.
Currently dealing with nine players on the injury list, Tottenham face a daunting task in navigating this challenging period. The pressure is on Postecoglou to steady the ship and rally the team through these setbacks.
Spurs supporters will be hoping for a turnaround as the team regroups and looks to bounce back. Restoring confidence will require resilience and strong leadership both on and off the pitch.
Tottenham must seize every opportunity to stabilise their campaign and climb up the Premier League table.
