OPINION
With Tottenham facing off against League Two side Tranmere Rovers there would have been plenty of fringe figures and young talents who would have been hoping for the chance to shine.
That was exactly what manager Mauricio Pochettino decided to do with his starting XI on Friday night, the likes of Fernando Llorente, Oliver Skipp and Kyle Walker-Peters being given starts while the likes of Aaron Eyoma and George Marsh were named among the substitutes.
#THFC: Gazzaniga, Aurier, Foyth, Sanchez, Davies, Walker-Peters, Skipp, Dele (C), Lucas, Son, Llorente.
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One man who was a notable absence was Georges-Kevin Nkoudou, the French winger having been an outcast from the first team this season with just one appearance.
The clash against Tranmere looked to be the perfect chance for the £35,000-a-week forward (Source: Spotrac) to either put his name forward for a more regular role or put himself in the shop window but Pochettino has showed his brutal side and not given him that courtesy.
This really appeared to be the 23-year-old’s last chance saloon and the manager has chosen to bring in the stars of tomorrow than let him prove his worth as a talent worthy of a senior spot today.
His future at Spurs is surely dead in the water now and he needs to find a way out of north London as soon as possible for the good of his career.
Being given the opportunity to strut his stuff against Tranmere might have benefited Pochettino, who obviously wants Nkoudou out the exit door, to drum up interest.
Instead he is left to rot in the reserves – a harsh decision from the Argentine boss.