Mauricio Pochettino: 'I am happy with the character we showed. We had faith'

Published: 14 January, 2015
by DAN CARRIER at White Hart Lane

FA Cup 3rd round replay
SPURS 4, BURNLEY 2

SPURS are still in three cup competitions after a spirited fightback from two goals down against Burnley at White Hart Lane tonight (Wednesday).

After watching his second-string side win the FA Cup third round replay 4-2, head coach Mauricio Pochettino said: “If you forget the first eight minutes, we deserve to be in the next round.

“I am happy with the character we showed. We had faith.”

He praised the players who were picked, including club captain Younes Kaboul, who has not started for more than two months.

Pochettino said: “Different players had an opportunity. They showed they can fight for every place in the first team.”

He made eight changes from the defeat at Crystal Palace at the weekend. But his selection gamble nearly didn’t pay off. 

On two minutes, Spurs were caught napping by a long throughball and forward Marvin Sordell buried a drive behind Michael Vorm to put Burnley ahead.

It got worse on seven minutes when a free-kick by Ross Wallace burst through the wall and extended Burnley’s lead.

It shook Spurs. Seconds later, Andros Townsend broke on the right and his cross was turned in from close range by Paulinho.

The rest of the first half saw little incident as both sides produced disjointed stuff. In the dying moments, hapless Roberto Soldado hit the bar when the goal was gaping – but as the ground still sat in stunned silence, Etienne Capoue whacked home a shot from the edge of the box to  put things even at half-time.

Within five minutes of the restart, Vlad Chiriches had bundled home to give Spurs the lead from a deep corner, and then Danny Rose increased the lead a minute later from close range.

This was a chance for fringe squad members to show they had what was needed to step in and nurse Spurs through a congested January programme. Despite the poor opening 10 minutes, there was enough quality to do what was needed to keep Tottenham’s FA Cup hopes alive. They now face Leicester City in the fourth round on the weekend of January 24.

SPURS: Vorm, Vertonghen, Rose (Chadli, 58), Kaboul, Chiriches (Dier, 80), Paulinho, Soldado, Townsend (Onomah, 75), Stambouli, Capoue, Davies.
Subs: Lloris, Dier, Naughton, Kane, Dembele, Chadli, Onomah.
Attendance: 24,367

SPURS COMMENT by Dan Carrier

Five thoughts from tonight: 

• The Lane was empty. Spurs should charge £10 on the door for adults and £5 for children for all cup games before the last 16. They could give vouchers away with each ticket that allows the person collecting them to go into a fans’ draw for tickets to the final, if they get there.

• Jan Vertonghen has just about been ever present this season, playing 26 times already. It’s not going to get any easier for him, and burnout is a worry for such a key player.

• Soldado’s miss from a yard out was one for a football gaffs DVD. But everything he did in the build-up was brilliant, and he made the fourth for Danny Rose.

• Chiriches is essentially the third choice right-back now DeAndre Yedlin has signed. But it was nice to see him score from a corner he forced through sheer bloody mindedness.

• This was a second string, but with the games coming thick and fast, all 25 players must show they can play a role.