Chris Sutton has criticised ‘big-time journalists’ for getting carried away with Ange Postecoglou’s start at Tottenham, after the the club crashed out of the Carabao Cup against Fulham.
Postecoglou suffered his first competitive defeat as Spurs boss after Fulham triumphed on penalties following a 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage in the second round tie.
The Spurs head coach made nine changes for the tie with Son Heung-min and James Maddison among those starting the match on the bench.
Mail Sport football editor Ian Ladyman questioned Sutton on the latest episode of the brand new podcast ‘It’s All Coming Up’.
Tottenham crashed out of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday after losing to Fulham on penalties
Chris Sutton criticised journalists for getting carried away with Spurs Premier League start
Postecoglou made nine changes to his starting eleven for the second round tie with Fulham
It followed the former Celtic striker praising the former Bhoys boss, who led the Scottish giants to a domestic treble last season, claiming earlier this week that Postecoglou deserved more respect from pundits.
‘Mate, you’ve been bigging up your friend, Ange Postecoglou, constantly to me for the last month and yet here we are two and a half weeks into the new season, they’re out the League Cup already,’ Ladyman said.
Sutton responded: ‘Well, in fairness to me, I haven’t been as carried away as a lot of the big-time journalists like yourself have been with Ange Postecoglou.
‘It’s been a decent start to his Tottenham career. I’ve got to say, playing that team in the League Cup and going out as they did, albeit on penalties, that’s a little bit of a momentum killer.
‘But come on we’re not judging Ange Postecoglou on that one game are we?’
Ladyman insisted journalists were not making snap judgements on Postecoglou based on individual results, but questioned the Australian’s team selection for the cup tie.
He highlighted Tottenham fans desire to end their wait for a major trophy, which stretches back to their League Cup win in 2008.
Tottenham’s exit from the Carabao Cup leaves the Premier League and FA Cup as their only routes to success, due to their absence from European competition this season.
Spurs fans travelled to Craven Cottage hoping the Carabao Cup may end their trophy drought
Tottenham have no European football this season and will rue missing a chance of cup success
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Sutton claimed Postecoglou got his team selection wrong for the tie having made nine changes against Fulham.
‘Did he get it wrong in terms of team selection? I think he did because, you know, Tottenham fans are desperate to win a trophy,’ Sutton said.
‘But having said all that, I think Ange Postecoglou said that after the game that he wanted to give other players an opportunity to see what they could do, which is a fair point. You know, he’s only just been in the door.
‘But look, I think I’m with you on this one in terms of thinking. Along the lines of you play your strongest team, you carry on the momentum and you’re trying to win a trophy as Tottenham manager.
‘So I think Ange Postecoglou got that one wrong, albeit they went out on penalties.’
Ladyman and Sutton clashed when the former appeared to suggest Postecoglou had followed other managers in prioritising the Premier League rather than the Carabao Cup.
‘Premier League managers are always telling us of the need for rotation, the need to prioritise the Premier League,’ Ladyman said.
Sutton countered: ‘I don’t think he talked about prioritising the Premier League. He just talked about making changes to see what other players could do.
Ian Ladyman questioned Postecoglou’s rotation with Spurs fans desperate to win a trophy
Postecoglou will look to get his side back to winning ways in the Premier League on Saturday
‘That’s a different argument. You can’t level that one at Ange Postecoglou.
‘Okay fair enough, fair enough,’ Ladyman responded. ‘Short question then, if you were first choice Tottenham centre forward who’d started the season well in the Premier League, you’d have wanted to play in that game against Fulham wouldn’t you?
‘Yes,’ Sutton said.
Tottenham will seek to bounce back from their disappointment in the Carabao Cup when they return to Premier League action on Saturday.
Postecoglou’s side travel to Turf Moor to face Burnley as they seek to maintain their unbeaten start to the Premier League season.
