BARCELONA, SPAIN - AUGUST 08: Ange Postecoglou, head coach of Tottenham Hotspur looks on prior to the Joan Gamper Trophy match between FC Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on August 08, 2023 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)
Bryan King claims Ange Postecoglou avoided “disaster” after Tottenham scored late in a 2-1 Carabao Cup victory over Coventry City on Wednesday (18 September).
The ex-Spurs scout believes Postecoglou will be relieved after his side scraped through following a poor performance away at Coventry, during which the North London side seriously rode their luck at times.
Second-half substitutes Djed Spence and Brennan Johnson scored late after Brandon Thomas-Asante had put the hosts ahead midway through the second half.
However, there was still bad news for Tottenham. After the match, Postecoglou confirmed that an injury sustained by Wilson Odobert during the first half looked “fairly significant” (via The Standard, 19 September).
And King – speaking exclusively to Tottenham News – believes some of the club’s other youngsters will now need to step up.
“Winning that game would have been a welcome relief for Postecoglou,” King said.
“It was a pleasing result that they got through but not a pleasing performance. If they had gone out it would have been a disaster. Everybody would have asked why he didn’t play the same team he did against Arsenal.
“However, they do have a tough period coming up, so it is important to rotate.
“Odobert’s injury doesn’t look good. He’s only a young player as well. It is another player who Postecoglou won’t be able to use during an intense period.
“These other young players will need to step up.”
Ange Postecoglou avoids disaster as Tottenham scrape past Coventry City
Had Postecoglou’s side been knocked out of the Carabao Cup by an EFL Championship side, serious questions would have been asked of the Australian.
However, this result shouldn’t paper over the cracks, and some will still be asking those questions despite the win. Tottenham still have some serious questions to answer, and Postecoglou will be desperate to turn things around quickly.
Therefore, losing an important squad player such as Odobert with plenty of fixtures to come is not ideal.
In other Tottenham news, concern has emerged after a multi-million transfer update in September.
