Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has slammed the club’s decision to bench Harry Kane in their shock FA Cup defeat to Sheffield United.
What happened to Spurs in the FA Cup?
Antonio Conte’s side may have lost their biggest chance at silverware this season as they were dumped out in the fifth round by the Championship side, with Spurs also trailing in their Champions League tie with AC Milan.
Cristian Stellini led the team in Conte’s absence as a result of illness and made a lot of changes for their trip to Bramall Lane, which included starting Richarlison upfront instead of Kane, and Spurs were poor as they were eliminated.
Speaking on TalkSPORT, Redknapp criticised the decision to rotate Kane in what was an important game in their long-awaited hunt for silverware.
“I looked at his face last night as he walked off the pitch and he looked very low, he must have thought, ‘my god what’s going on here?’
“You know, he’s on the bench. he didn’t start the game. You’re taking a gamble right now. Top four, yeah it’s important, but winning a trophy is everything really, they should have really gone for it last night. Harry should be starting the game surely, you want to go all the way in that competition.”
Should Spurs have prioritised the FA Cup?
Given that just four of the remaining eight sides in the FA Cup are from the Premier League, and that Sheffield United were draw against Blackburn Rovers in the quarter-finals, this was a huge missed opportunity for Spurs.
They have not won a trophy since the 2008 League Cup, and with Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal already eliminated, they could have had a huge shot at glory if they progressed to the next round.
Spurs’ route to Wembley looked clear, and in a season where they have been largely disappointing whilst competing for a top-four place, FA Cup victory will have been excellent for the club and their fans.
The decision to bench Kane backfired particularly because of Richarlison’s poor performance. The Brazilian failed to register a single shot on target and lost possession 12 times as per SofaScore.
Given how long it has been since Spurs tasted success, rotating so heavily for the FA Cup was the wrong decision and it has come back to bite them.