John Wenham was baffled by Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham team selection in the 2-1 Carabao Cup win at Coventry City (18 September).
The owner of the reputable Spurs podcast Lilywhite Rose would have preferred to see those wholesale changes made in the UEFA Europa League at home to Qarabağ FK on Thursday (26 September).
Postecoglou made eight changes for the clash with Coventry. In the end, Spurs survived an upset as late goals from Djed Spence and Brennan Johnson saw them through to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.
And Wenham – speaking exclusively to Tottenham News – believes Postecoglou took a “huge risk” with his team selection.
“Qarabağ would have been the game to make the changes he made against Coventry City,” Wenham said.
“We were coming off the back of a North London derby defeat. Therefore, I thought it was a huge risk to make eight changes.
“And my goodness, that risk almost cost us. This is a club that is starved of trophies and desperate for a cup. Therefore, to have risked it all, some of those selections were quite baffling.
“As I said, I would have saved those changes for Thursday.”
Ange Postecoglou takes Tottenham risk against Coventry City
Making eight changes for a match could always prove costly. However, Postecoglou and Spurs were able to get away with one in the end against Coventry City.
The Australian won’t want things to be as nervy against Qarabağ, especially not at home. Therefore, he might be wise to leave a few more first-team players in the starting lineup.
Postecoglou had to rely on substitutes against Coventry City, and he won’t want to do that again.
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