OPINION
Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham squad is wearing rather thin at the moment, and that was clearly evident in their 2-0 loss to Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Andros Townsend and Connor Wickham put Spurs to the sword in the fourth round of the FA Cup, and it was plain to see that the team were struggling against one of the Premier League’s bottom teams.
This was summed up perfectly by the performance of Georges-Kevin N’Koudou, who was abysmal in a rare start for the winger – and it is safe to say that he has not swayed Pochettino into handing him more first team starts in the future.
He fluffed his lines early on after Kieran Trippier played a short free-kick, which then set Palace off on the break, then he failed to convert two close-range chances by firing straight at the goalkeeper.
The 23-year-old hardly had a touch of the ball in the second half, which just about encapsulates what a dreadful afternoon it was for the youngster.
Pochettino may be lacking a little bit of depth at the moment, but there is no way he is going to continue to risk playing N’Koudou if he performs like this, and who can blame him?
He must be axed as soon as possible, as it is clear from this match that he is not up to standard for a top team like Tottenham – meaning he has wasted a great opportunity to revive his career at the club.
The player no doubt has the potential to be great, but unfortunately for him, that should be at a team who are ranked a lot lower than Spurs.
He does not deserve to be given any more chances at this level, so Pochettino must do what is right – and swiftly.