When Tottenham Hotspur Ange Postecoglou decided to bring some of his big hitters to Coventry City, he surely would have hoped he wouldn’t have to use them.
In the midst of a gruelling fixture list – defeated in the North London derby last weekend and with the Europa League to come – a Carabao Cup trip to second-tier Coventry City felt like the ideal moment for Postecoglou to shuffle his pack and give his fringe players the chance to shine.
It was a chance few of them seized.
Timo Werner struggled badly, Archie Gray was overloaded at right-back, and Pape Matar Sarr endured a strangely sloppy night in possession. Dominic Solanke, starved of service, is no closer to reaching his proposed 20-goal target.
Postecoglou’s frustrations were never more evident, meanwhile, than when he introduced Heung-Min Son and James Maddison shortly before Brandon Thomas-Asante gave Coventry a lead that did not exactly flatter the hosts.
But, as is often the case on occasions such as this, the sheer Premier League-level quality of the visitors cancelled out the bravery and the belligerence of Mark Robins’ side.
James Maddison changes the game for Tottenham
Substitutes Dejan Kulsevski and Djed Spence combined for Tottenham’s 88th minute equaliser.
Brennan Johnson – another who came off the bench to replace the injured Wilson Odobert – then ensured there was to be no penalty shoot-out in the Midlands as he raced in behind and clipped a composed finish into the far corner.
“Lets face is, they are a top team,” sighs Robins, via Coventry City’s official YouTube channel, while describing Spurs as the ‘best pressing team in Europe‘.
“And when they make the changes, when they brought Son on, when they brought James Maddison on, when they bring Kulusevski on having already brought on Brennan Johnson and Djed Spence…”
Maddison might not have scored or even set up either of Spurs’ two late goals on the night.
But Robins feels that his 62nd minute introduction – against his former employers – was the moment which turned the game in Spurs’ favour.
Maddison took the game by the proverbial scruff of the neck, dictating things from the centre and opening up gaps that a tiring Coventry simply couldn’t plug.
Coventry City undone by one of their own
“You have got to look at when Maddison comes on. He gets hold of the ball, he allows (his team-mates) to move into positions where he can find them,” Robins says of the Coventry-born playmaker, who came through the ranks and made his debut for the Sky Blues back in 2014.
“Even then, the chances that they had we snuffed out. We got some good blocks and headers. We defended really well. And then the once chance they get in the box, they just get a toe-end to it.
“I can’t responsibility for (Maddison’s rise) at all!” Robins adds. “He’s a top player and he’s somebody who came through our academy. I think everyone here is proud of him and what he achieved.
“It’s testament to what we do here, but also his quality, his character and his personality have got him to the stage he’s at.”
Ahead of Saturday’s meeting with London neighbours Brentford, Postecoglou will be hoping his charges can take some semblance of confidence of a dramatic late fightback on the road, even if it was against Championship opposition.
Johnson, in particular, should feel a little lighter this morning after a difficult couple of days for a player who appears to have become something of a scapegoat amongst the harsher members of the Tottenham fanbase.
The post 'He's a top player': Mark Robins admits Coventry simply couldn't cope with one Tottenham star appeared first on HITC.
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