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ANGE POSTECOGLOU always wins a trophy in his second season at a club and maybe history is about to repeat itself.
But he will need someone other than Fraser Forster in goal.
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PATottenham were absolutely cruising to the semi-finals tonight. They properly had the cigars out.
Their fans, dreaming of a first trophy since 2008, were dancing in the aisles, singing about their heroes and laughing at how bloody hopeless United were proving to be.
Dominic Solanke had scored twice, sandwiching a goal at the start of the second half by Dejan Kulusevski.
But this is Tottenham Hotspur. The team which specialises in tormenting their fans each and every season.
Forster proved exactly why managers have to stop telling goalkeepers to play out from the back. Particularly those keepers who cannot kick the ball properly
We see it each and every week, from the Premier League to League Two. Managers need their heads testing for being so stupid, so reckless.
Unbelievably, at 3-0, Forster dragged United back into the game by passing the ball to Bruno Fernandes who squared to sub Josh Zirkzee.
And then the former England keeper seemed to click into slow-motion as he delivered a clearance and Amad Diallo slid in and the ball somehow ended up in the top corner.
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United’s fans sensed the ultimate comeback but even Forster avoided a hat-trick of cock-ups.
United keeper Altay Bayindir proved to be just as bad and failed to keep out a corner from Heung Min-Son to seal the tie although there was still time for Jonny Evans to make it 4-3 in the 94th minute.
Tottenham’s no 1 keeper Guglielmo Vicario is currently injured and could be back in February. Postecoglou must hope so.
It has been over five-and-a-half years since Spurs moved into their new stadium and there have not been many better nights in terms of the atmosphere generated by their supporters until Forster pressed the self-destruct button – which also acted as the mute switch.
Despite defeat, and United were awful for an hour, this spirited end to the game gives something for Amorim to work on in terms of belief.
The problem is that United, most of the time, do not have goalkeepers like Forster giving them gifts.
It is truly remarkable when you consider that United have spent all this money over the years to be one of the lowest scorers in English football’s top-flight.
Only Crystal Palace, Everton, Ipswich and Southampton have managed less than United’s embarrassing tally of 21.
Man Utd ratings vs Spurs as Bayindir has a shocker and fans left laughing at Antony
ALTAY BAYINDIR had a game to forget as Manchester United were dumped out of the Carabao Cup.
Not many of the Red Devils were able to impress as they were beaten by Tottenham Hotspur.
SunSport’s Katherine Walsh has provided her ratings of the Man United squad…
Altay Bayindir – 2
Squandered his audition after Andre Onana’s recent blunders against Nottingham Forest and Plzen.
Was responsible for Spurs’ opener when he spilled Pedro Porro’s shot into the path of Dominic Solanke.
Was probably fouled but still flapped as Son made it 4-2 from a direct CORNER in the 88th minute. Perhaps Onana isn’t so bad?
Victor Lindelof – 4
Caught slacking and lacking and a mile off the pace as Spurs’ front line rang rings around United for most of the game.
No surprise he came off injured just before half-time.
Leny Yoro – 5
Was physically targeted by Solanke in the first half, but the 19-year-old stood up to him and Son fairly well.
Jeered by the home fans when he was nutmegged by Djed Spence and was lucky when referee John Brooks blew for a foul early on.
Made a crunching tackle on Son in the 86th minute right in front of a rowdy home end – but the Korean scored from the resulting corner.
Lisandro Martinez – 3
All over the place at the back. Directly assisted Tottenham’s second when Maddison’s cross hit off his extended back leg and into the path of Kulusevski from five yards.
Solanke eased past him for 3-0 too and was lucky not to gift Spurs a fourth soon after.
Diogo Dalot – 6
Only United defender who had a clue.
Solid crosses and switches in play while pressing the makeshift Spurs backline, which was often overplaying.
Christian Eriksen – 6
Inches away from bagging the equaliser at 1-0 but was blocked by Yves Bissouma.
Overhit several corners as he was tasked with taking from both sides but was clapped off from the home fans when he made way for Kobbie Mainoo.
Manuel Ugarte – 4
Has perhaps stolen Martinez’s “Butcher” title at Man Utd as the Spurs fans wanted him hit with a booking.
Constantly gave away fouls and conceded dangerous free kicks which isn’t ideal with James Maddison on the pitch.
He almost poked Kulusevski’s cross into his own net, but did well to make sure it went just wide.
Noussair Mazraoui – 5
Knew he was in for a difficult evening against Son, who was wonderful going forward with several intricate passes.
Booked for catching Spence, Amorim’s head was down when Maddison took the free-kick.
Couldn’t get his feet right for chance just before half-time.
Antony – 4
A nervy start saw him lose the ball in a dangerous position with a minute gone which set Son away to cross into Brennan Johnson.
Too casual on the ball and put visitors under pressure in the early passages.
Basically gave the home fans something to laugh about every time he lost the ball, which was several times to 18-year-old Archie Gray.
Bruno Fernandes – 6
He did his creative job when he could, putting Hojlund through inside 11 minutes, only for the Dane to fluff his lines.
Curled just wide from outside the area and assisted Zirkzee’s goal to give the travelling end a glimmer of hope.
Drew a booking for Sarr for a tackle from behind and was booed before his free-kick clipped the top of the net.
Rasmus Hojlund – 5
Rarely got a sniff with United working on the counter early on and weak on the ball when did receive it.
He was thumped and bullied by the makeshift Spurs backline of Gray and Radu Drăgușin and replaced by Joshua Zirkzee in the 55th minute.
SUBS
Jonny Evans (’44 Victor Lindelof) – 4
Solanke drove the ball through his legs for 3-0.
Bizarrely got on the scoresheet with a last-minute consolation with a header from a corner.
Kobbie Mainoo – (’56 Eriksen) – 6
He was waiting on the sidelines before Solanke tripled Spurs’ lead and brought some much-needed composure with his side 3-0 down.
Joshua Zirkzee – (’56 Hojlund) – 6
Had United’s first attempt on target in the 61st minute but his header was well kept out by Fraser Forster.
But gave United hope when he made it 3-1 a minute later from Forster’s blunder.
Did better than Hojlund in out-muscling Dragusin.
Amad Diallo – (’55 Antony) – 8
Just as Martin Odegaard did last night against Palace, Amad’s introduction turned things around for the Red Devils.
The tricky winger made it 3-2 when his unbelievable pressing forced Forster into ANOTHER error from a routine free-kick.
The star of the show also fed the ball to Fernandes, who assisted Zirkzee’s goal and brought some much-needed impetus to United’s forward play.
Alejandro Garnacho (’72 Ugarte) – 5
The sub everybody was waiting for after he was dropped for United’s 2-1 win against Man City on Sunday.
Chased every ball down but loses points due to the crazy impact of the earlier substitutions.
Although United boss Amorim claims he wants Marcus Rashford to stay, it does seem some fans have run out of patience with the striker. One banner in the away end read: “Excuses ta ra Marcus.”
Once again, like Sunday, there was no place in the matchday squad for Rashford although Alejandro Garnacho – who was also missing at the Etihad – was on the bench in north London.
But even had they both featured, it is questionable how much difference they would have made.
Yet United’s issues have not only been up front and there have also been at the back.
Last night, Bayindir was was terrible but so too was Lisandro Martinez.
Turkish keeper Bayindir was making only his fourth appearance for United and had not been called into action before parrying Pedro Porro’s shot which led to the opening goal.
In a move which started from a James Maddison free-kick, Porro’s shot from 25 yards did fly through some bodies and there was also some movement from the ball.
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Yet Bayindir should still have done better. He could only push the ball towards the right boot of Solanke who did require a bit of help from the post to score.
Former Spurs favourite Christian Eriksen, who received a warm reception from the home fans in the South Stand when taking his first corner, had a shot blocked by Yves Bissouma but Fraser Forster would have saved it anyway.
United lost Victor Lindelof with an injury just before half-time and Amorim sent out his team a few minutes early
They had to wait a little bit more as Tottenham’s players gathered for a huddle and 47 seconds into the second half, Spurs got the second.
Maddison attempted to drive the ball across the face of the goal to Solanke but Martinez stuck out his leg and Kulusevski was never missing from eight yards.
As United teetered on the brink of total collapse, Solanke raced onto a ball over the top from Spence and then breezed past Martinez and then fired his shot through the legs of Evans for 3-0.
United pulled one back when keeper Forster passed the ball to Fernandes who squared for Zirkzee.
And unbelievably, Forster did it again when he took far too long to deal with a backpass from Archie Gray. Sub Diallo delivered the block and the ball rebounded into the goal.
Just when Tottenham were doing their best to toss it all away, Bayindir completely missed the corner from the home team’s South Korean skipper for 4-2.
And the madness finally ended 90 seconds after a header from defender Evans. It was certainly bonkers, but with Spurs, it is always the same.
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