Tottenham Hotspur entered tonight’s semi final second leg one goal to the good, but without their four highest scoring players.
Harry Kane and Dele Alli are out injured until early March, Heung Min Son is still away at the Asia Cup, and Lucas Moura was only fit enough for the bench.
Spurs didn’t seem to know how they were supposed to play in the first half, with Llorente unable to hold the ball up, and Eriksen and Lamela no where near the play.
Defensively they were poor, and they created nothing going forward either, soon finding themselves 2-0 down, 2-1 on aggregate.
However, it was as if someone had flicked a switch in the second half, as Poch changed tactics slightly emphasising a lot of play wide down the left hand flank with Danny Rose.
His crossing eventually led to a Llorente goal, Spurs drew level, and penalties beckoned.
But without many recognisable takers, it was not to be Tottenham’s day, and they fell to a 4-2 loss from the spot.
Here’s how some fans reacted:
I expect nothing and I’m still disappointed…
— Cam (@valanka58) January 24, 2019
— FPL depression ?? (@FPLdepression) January 24, 2019
How hard is it to put away a pen ?
— Doni (@TheClassyKorean) January 24, 2019
We did pretty good considering we’re missing 2 of our best players
— Soccer Updates (@SoccerUpdates17) January 24, 2019
Can’t see how much more we could have done missing those big 3. The negativity on here is ridiculous.
— Tom Cheeseman (@TomCheese8) January 24, 2019
You tried your best guys, that’s all you could do. Onwards and upwards #COYS
— Stefan?️? (@SJTW99) January 24, 2019
We are better out of this competition instead of being humiliated by Man City with a depleted team
— Juliet Lubega (@ucragirl) January 24, 2019
You can make all the excuses you want but the fact is the fault lies with the board. They have refused to strengthen a team decimated by injuries and missing 3 key players, to even take Chelsea to penalties was a decent achievement but Levy & ENIC need to go. #LevyOut
— White Hart Spur (@White_Hart_Spur) January 24, 2019
#LevyOut I’m tired of mediocrity and coming up short every year… and it’s not Poch’s fault that’s for sure
— Joe (32-17) Embiid MVP Szn (@JoeG4133) January 24, 2019