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Jamie Redknapp accused Tottenham of lacking fight after Ange Postecoglou’s side were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Liverpool without managing a single shot on target during the 4-0 semi-final second-leg defeat.
Spurs took a 1-0 lead to Anfield but were blown away by the Premier League leaders in a one-sided victory. Goals from Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Virgil van Dijk helped dismiss a Tottenham side who failed to land a punch.
Defeat signals a significant blow to Tottenham’s hopes of ending their trophy drought this season, with holders Liverpool progressing to face Newcastle at Wembley next month. Postecoglou’s side remain in the FA Cup and Europa League but are just 14th in the table, with the manager coming under further pressure.
Former Tottenham midfielder Redknapp was scathing assessment of Tottenham’s display, with former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher suggesting that League Two’s Accrington Stanley offered Arne Slot’s side more problems in their FA Cup third-round tie last month.
“I cannot remember a team in my lifetime go down with less of a fight with what Spurs did today,” said Redknapp on Sky Sports. “Not having one shot on target in the semi-final of a second leg when you’re trying to change the course of your history?
“I feel sorry for those players. I think Djed Spence played 14 different positions tonight. I’ve never seen anything like it. You have young players, you’re meant to protect them.
“Archie Gray and [Lucas] Bergvall, they’re young men and trying their best. But I’m looking at the experienced players today to lead and try and set the tempo. They didn’t do that one bit.
“There’s been some lows – Palace, Ipswich and Everton this season. But when you look at that today, the scoreline? Just horrendous.”
Spurs are dealing with a long injury list but Carragher said he did not doubt that Liverpool would overcome their first-leg defeat and added that no one, even the travelling Spurs supporters, “believed they were going to win”.
“It’s Tottenham!” Carragher said. “When do Tottenham ever win a big game? When do Tottenham ever go and surprise, win against the odds?
“The odds were massively in favour against Liverpool, they’re at Anfield, they’re the best team in the country, possibly the best team in Europe right now.
“But it’s not just this Spurs team. They never shock you, never do something out of the ordinary.”
Postecoglou was asked about Redknapp’s comments afterwards, and replied: “”Why you asking me? Ask Jamie, he’s made the comment.
“I know people get excited about things like that, people on TV give opinions, that’s what they are there to do. My job is to manage this football club. Whatever people think or don’t think is irrelevant, it doesn’t really matter.
“I don’t put any emphasis on it, or who we are. Everyone is allowed to have an opinion and express it. My view is I don’t need to respond to that or be affected by it. I don’t care, it doesn’t worry me, it doesn’t bother me.”
Postecoglou admitted that Liverpool “were the better team” and were “too good for Spurs” as attention now turns to a must-win FA Cup fourth-round tie at Aston Villa on Sunday.
“The players are very disappointed. We had a great opportunity and unfortunately we didn’t grab it,” Postecoglou said.
“Liverpool fully deserved the victory tonight. They were the better team. We just weren’t able to get a grip in any part of the game defensively or with the ball. They were too good for us.
“We allowed them to get into the game, we weren’t as aggressive as we needed to be. Again, we didn’t start the game off on the right foot, it allowed them to get comfortable. Once they got comfortable, it was difficult for us to get some control back.”
Meanwhile, former Tottenham defender Michael Dawson criticised the leadership of the senior players in the Spurs side, including captain Heung Min Son, who at least hit the crossbar late on when Liverpool were 3-0 up.
“That was a low, low night for Spurs,” Dawson said on Sky Sports. “It was always going to be backs against the wall but they didn’t show any character in possession, out of possession and they didn’t show any desire to keep the ball out of the back of the net.
“To come here and get beat 4-0 without any fight and without a shot on target, it’s a damaging performance.”
