OPINION
Gone are the days of journalists moaning about managers putting out weakened teams in cup competitions.
Arsene Wenger got the league cup totally right – he played his youth players who might not otherwise get a chance of competitive football.
Things are slightly different for Mauricio Pochettino. Such is the depth of his squad, he can almost put out a completely different XI and still have a team that would be competitive in the lower half of the Premier League.
Then there’s the age-old conundrum about Tottenham and trophies. The last one they won was the league cup in 2008 and there are plenty of pundits saying Pochettino would be a failure if he doesn’t win something.
Ironically, the league cup might not count any more – if that’s all he won he would still probably be considered a failure – but it’s a start and Tottenham fans will be looking for a deep run at this cup.
Luckily, Pochettino can rest the players he wants to rest and still put out a side that can decimate a probably heavily changed Watford side.
Fernando Llorente will lead the line, and he can be backed up by heavyweights Heung-Min Son, Dele Alli and Erik Lamela, who has been limited to just cameo appearances in the league this season and is ready for more minutes and just his second start of the season.
Toby Alderweireld can provide the ballast at the back and ensure that Davinson Sanchez, Ben Davies and Kyle Walker-Peters look as good at the back as Jan Vertonghen, Danny Rose and Kieran Trippier.
This is the XI that we think will do the business at at Stadium MK on Wednesday.
