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No honour as lucky Spurs reach Wembley
Tom Collomosse22.01.09
Harry Redknapp should look on the bright side. If Daniel Levy, the Tottenham chairman, had any lingering doubts about spending more money during the transfer window, they will have disappeared after watching this performance.
Spurs are on their way to Wembley but there was no glory or distinction in reaching their second consecutive Carling Cup final. With two minutes of extra time remaining, the holders were 3-0 down and heading out of the competition on the away goals rule, a disgrace when you consider they led Championship club Burnley 4-1 after the first leg.
The late goals from Roman Pavlyuchenko and Jermain Defoe staved off humiliation for the time being but the lack of heart, character and willpower in this Spurs squad is alarming. Only the outstanding Michael Dawson and, to a lesser extent, Jonathan Woodgate, Luka Modric and Jamie O'Hara, earned their huge wages at Turf Moor. The other seven players in the starting XI simply did not cut it and some will fear for their futures.
It would be interesting to know Juande Ramos's thoughts on the situation. When the Spaniard was sacked in late October with the club bottom of the table, the blame for their dreadful start to the season was laid hurriedly at his door.
But after a strong start under Redknapp, Spurs' recent displays have been similar to the worst ones under Ramos - and many of the players who let down Ramos are falling short again with Redknapp.
David Bentley, so vocal in his criticism of Ramos, has been no better for Redknapp. The Spurs boss had expected an improvement from the former Blackburn player - who was barracked throughout by Burnley fans for his Rovers past - but he was left disappointed.
Right-back Chris Gunter does not yet look good enough to play at the top level and it is no surprise to hear Redknapp would like to send him out on loan. At left-back, Benoit Assou-Ekotto is prone to costly losses of concentration, while Gareth Bale is not strong enough defensively to persuade Redknapp to play him there.
Redknapp's concerns about a lack of strength in the goalkeeping department were proved by debutant Ben Alnwick's uncertain showing. The 22-year-old, deputising for the injured Heurelho Gomes, was at fault for Burnley's first and third goals.
Redknapp admitted it had been the toughest night of his football career and it was easy to see why. With Spurs fighting for Premier League survival, being knocked out of the Carling Cup in this fashion would have had a corrosive effect on morale and left Redknapp with a huge task to revive his players and ensure Spurs stayed up.
Alnwick's positioning was poor for the opening goal, allowing Robbie Blake to inflict the first blow by curling a free-kick inside the near post. Blake beat Gunter far too easily to create the second for Chris McCann in the 73rd minute and when Alnwick dropped another Blake set-piece at the feet of substitute Jay Rodriguez, Spurs were heading out of the competition. Redknapp's side had clear chances to win the tie on aggregate in the second half, with Bale, Defoe and Pavlyuchenko all culpable but Burnley - with only one win in their previous seven matches - were much the better side.
So when Pavlyuchenko turned in Assou-Ekotto's cut-back two minutes from the end of extra time, with Defoe then making things safe moments later, everyone at Turf Moor was left with a sense of injustice.
Second-half substitute Pavlyuchenko has scored in all six of the cup matches he has played in since joining Spurs for £14million and he will have the chance to maintain that record against Manchester United at Old Trafford in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday. He stopped short of saying so publicly but Redknapp would surely breathe a sigh of relief were United to knock out his side in a dress rehearsal for the Carling Cup final at Wembley on 1 March.
Expect plenty more activity from Redknapp, who has already spent close to £30m on Defoe and Wilson Palacios, before the transfer window closes, with Dawson and O'Hara added to an injury list which already contains Gomes, skipper Ledley King, Vedran Corluka, Aaron Lennon and Jermaine Jenas.
If it is skill, courage and commitment he is seeking, Redknapp could do worse than pick up the phone to his Burnley counterpart Owen Coyle and try to sign their midfield trio Joey Gudjonsson, Wade Elliott and McCann, as well as veteran right-back Graham Alexander.
If both sides continue to play like this, they will be playing against each other next season - if Burnley fail to win promotion to the Premier League, that is.
Reader views (16)
spurs were verry poor but we got there in the end not wembley again twice on the trote come on you spurs
- Dennis Feegrade, harrow middx
worst spurs team i have ever seen in my 40 plus years of following spurs ( and i was there last night ).
- Steve, braintree , essex
I havent heard Redknapps post match interview, but im assuming it went like this.
"We are down to the bare bones, we havent got a proper (insert position) at the moment, i dunno who put this squad together. We had 2 points when I arrived here how do you only have two points. I'll do what I can do but the players have to stand up and be counted, the ones we have left that is (friends within the media chuckle).
We'll just keep soliering on with what we have got but its not a balanced squad - bare bones etc."
- Arthur Atkinson, Weston
Burnley did indeed beat Arsenal 2-0 and Chelsea on penalties. However, the Arsenal game was all second string players and Spurs best fit 11 lost 3-0 in full time.
Yeah sure have your fun at Wembley in the reserve cup but be wary, Harry is just papering over the cracks of a poor poor team. Expect Stoke to get something next Tuesday.
- John Livermore, Bermondsey, SE London
By 'weakest team' presumably that means David Bentley will be wearing the captain's armband ?
- John Bloomfield, Twickenham
Tottenham players and management clearly underestimated Burnley and desrved to loose. As it is the first leg score and the aggregate score both flatter poor performances from Spurs. The victory last night highlighted not a skill gap between the teams but a fitness gap.
Ledley King was right when a couple of weeks ago he urged the players to show some fight. At the end of the day the men on the pitch are highly paid 'professionals' and if they are not motivated to perform by their massive salaries and for the honour of the shirt they should not be on the pitch.
Redknapp should put a couple of the lightweights on the transfer list, that should buck up their ideas.
- Adam, North London
Burnley knocked out Arsenal AND Chelsea on their way to meeting the team (Spurs) who knocked them out by six goals to four. QED.
- Ted, London
Yes Burnley were good but lets not keep putting our team (Spurs) down all the time! We are going to Wembley so lets enjoy it and go on to beat Man Utd in the final!
- Philip The Spur, Ware Herts
Redknapp has already spent £30m this transfer window and we're led to believe he's facing some sort of impossible job? Redknapp has to take responsibility, or is he just a horse trader? He freezes players out for fun, fun for him and his adoring media, not much fun for whoever foots the bill.
- Liam, Epping
Second string patched up Tottenham? Oh well done you plucky battlers. Great experience for your kids & fringe players like Defoe, Modric, Zakora, Pavlychencko, Huddlestone, Dawson, Woodgate etc to take on the giants of Burnley who, of course, have a huge squad of interntionals to choose from, and no injuries or suspensions (apart from, for example, our captain & centre-half, the guy who scored both goals against Arsenal, our right-back, and our centre-forward, who is cup-tied.
- Harry, burnley, england
Hate reading it but it's all true! As much as I love Tottenham, I can't help but hate the way they always have to do things the hard way. Burnley were excellent last night as they were two weeks ago at WHL, really thought they deserved to be going to Wembley, not us. Good luck to them in their pursuit of Premiership football next year. If they play like that every week, I think we may have another Hull on our hands!
- Steve, Essex
Sorry but wasn't this tie over two legs? Yes we were shocking last night but to say we didn't deserve to go through just based on one night is ridiculous.
One could argue that Burnley didn't deserve to go through after losing 4-1 in the first leg.
I think Burnley did brilliant and should be proud of themselves, but you cannot argue with a scoreline over two legs.
- Tottenham Tom, WHL
A second string patched up Tottenham team went to Burnley with a 4-1 lead Fact. Burnley are pushing for promotion Fact. Tottenham are fighting in a relegation struggle Fact. Burnley had four shots on Target in the whole 120 minutes Fact, Spurs had 9 Fact.
- 4everaspur, Folkestone
I think people are getting carried away here and perhaps romantic about the notion that Burnley nearly got to Wembley. Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't Spurs win 6-4 on aggregate? Did Man Utd not get beat at Derby two weeks ago then? I seem to remember Fergie saying it was the worst performance he has seen. Let's be serious here, Burnley were not better than Spurs last night - and Spurs were pedestrian at times. If Ben Alnwick had not had a nightmare then the result would have been 1-2 last night for all Burnley's industry. You can hardly blame Spurs for taking it easy when they were 4 - 1 up. Nobody expected Burnley to get back in it and if they were not lucky with the free-kick and the clanger dropped by Alnwick they wouldn't have got back in it. Tottenham always looked like scoring last night and when they had to they did. 6 - 4 the stats don't lie. Oh, and Arsenal fans, Burnley are the team that knocked you out of this competition.
- Harryhosk, Enfield, UK
He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day. Poor Burnley they did well put up a great fight and they won ! However they will not be going to Wembley and The Spurs will, yes ive papered over all the cracks yes the burnley fans and players deserve a pat on the back and the Spurs players a Kick up the Back side but come March first will i care? No i won't.
There is a lot of hate towards The Spurs from all quarters right now Managers and Chairmen as well as the layman But do i care? No.
We are Tottenham we are Tottenham no one likes Us we dont care we are Tottenham super Tottenham we are Tottenham from the Lane.When all is said and done Spurs goe marching on regardless what happened over the two games its Spurs Verse Manyoo in the FINAL and thats all that matters, Yesterday is history tomorrows a mystery todays a gift thats why its called the present and presently we are going to Wembley Yid Army Yid Army Yid Army...............................oh and to all the haters? LATERS
- Bilal, Londoner
On the one hand I am pleased we are in the final, on the other hand I thought we were truly awful. It showed clearly that we need a decent reserve keeper, a quality left back & left sided midfield player. I feel the signing of Palacios was not a priority as we have 4 decent central midfield players. Its obvious that we will lose to Man Utd in the F A Cup on Saturday, but what concerns me more is Tuesday's premiership match against Stoke, as they will be well rested & we will be jadad. I only hope that the euphoria of last night will push us to victory. Although in reality a draw is much more likely. Based upon my realistic calculations we will finish with 38 points, will this be enough to avoid relegation?
- Rob Hotspurs, South London
