Tottenham will privately be “chuffed” at being knocked out of the League Cup, according to a top journalist.
Oliver Holt, the chief sports writer for the Mail on Sunday, made the shock claim on his personal Twitter account that the club would rather be eliminated from the competition than use it to end their nine-year trophy drought.
This competition provided a chance for Mauricio Pochettino to win a first trophy as a manager – having failed to at Espanyol and Southampton – and for Spurs to reach a ‘home’ cup final at Wembley.
The 2008 League Cup triumph remains the last time Tottenham lifted a major trophy.
Nevertheless, Holt claimed that Spurs will be “pretty chuffed” at their League Cup elimination as it allows them to “get on with trying to win big stuff now”.
Great result for West Ham etc etc. But Spurs probably pretty chuffed to be out of Carabao Cup. Can get on with trying to win big stuff now.
— Oliver Holt (@OllieHolt22) October 25, 2017
OPINION
It is highly unlikely that Holt’s upbeat analysis of four-time League Cup winners Tottenham’s elimination from the competition reflects the views of the club’s supporters. Without a trophy in nine years, the League Cup offered an ideal stage for Spurs’ upwardly mobile team to demonstrate their stunning transformation under Pochettino in recent seasons can be measured in silverware as well as points and plaudits. Competition for the Premier League and Champions League – we can assume he does not regard the FA Cup as ‘big stuff’ – is intense, and Tottenham’s chances of winning one or the other remain relatively remote. Surely, there cannot be a Spurs fan out there who would not love to see their club parade the League Cup at their new ‘home’ in February. Holt is talking utter nonsense.