Danny Higginbotham has suggested that Tottenham should be doing better in cup competitions, and that far inferior sides are outperforming them.
Spurs were knocked out of both domestic cup competitions in the past week, with their fourth round FA Cup exit coming after a lacklustre 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
That loss means that Tottenham will have only made three league cup, and no FA Cup, finals in the past 15 years.
Writing on his personal Twitter account, Sky Sports pundit Higginbotham suggested that record was not good enough for a team of Spurs’ stature, and that he has achieved more at fare inferior teams.
Responding to one Tottenham fan, he said: “I did get relegated twice as you say but also been in as many cup finals as Spurs in last 15 years at far inferior clubs.
“That’s my point. Spurs have a great team and should do better in cup competitions.”
I did get relegated twice as you say but also been in as many cup finals as spurs in last 15 years at far inferior clubs. That’s my point. Spurs have a great team and should do better in cup competitions.
— Danny Higginbotham (@Higginbotham05) January 29, 2019
OPINION
Higginbotham is absolutely right on this one. Mauricio Pochettino’s comments after Spurs’ FA Cup exit about prioritising a top four finish have drawn a lot of attention, and people seem to be forgetting the fact that the choice between cup success and Champions League football is not a mutually exclusive one. Why can’t Spurs go out and win the Carabao Cup and finish third? After the remarkable progress made under Pochettino, that doesn’t seem like too much of an ask, and it would certainly placate an increasingly disgruntled fanbase. Supporters will point to a lack of squad depth and suggest that is the reason why Spurs cannot challenge on several fronts, but a squad is not come randomly assembled group players bestowed upon a manager, and if the team is lacking strength in depth, that too shows an oversight on the part of the boss and those financing him. Tottenham need to win something, but by the looks of things, they might have to wait another season to do so.