Stan Collymore has criticised Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino for his decision to not prioritise the League Cup this season.
Spurs were eliminated from the Carabao Cup last week after losing 3-2 at home to West Ham in the fourth round.
The North London club were cruising into the quarter-finals of the competition at half-time with a two-goal lead, before the Hammers sparked a dramatic comeback in the second period.
Collymore has ripped into Pochettino for not focusing on the Carabao Cup and feels that it could have been the perfect springboard for them by lifting a trophy.
The Argentinian manager is still yet to win silverware with Spurs and it is the major dark cloud looming over their exciting young side.
“Mauricio Pochettino talked down the Carabao Cup before Tottenham were knocked out by West Ham last week,” Collymore wrote in the Mirror.
“But he should be making it Spurs’ No.1 priority in the next two or three years as they try to win their first trophy since 2008.
“So nine out of ten for everything Pochettino has done, for English football, at Southampton and at Spurs.
“One out of ten for not prioritising that league cup as almost a Champions League-esque priority this season.”
OPINION
Pochettino decided to field a weaker side against West Ham, but still put out a team that were good enough to get the job done. Spurs have had a very difficult fixture list in October with games against Liverpool, Real Madrid and Liverpool, meaning it makes perfect sense to rest key men such as Christian Eriksen in the League Cup. They were firmly in the ascendancy and were on course to reach the next round of the competition if not for a stunning comeback. Pochettino has come under big criticism for his change of personnel, but he should not be too bothered by it as his side are still looking very strong in both the Premier League and Champions League. Obviously getting over the line in the push for silverware is important for Spurs, but there are still other competitions and West Ham deserved to progress in the cup for their remarkable second-half performance.