Of all the young players Tottenham Hotspur have at their disposal, Alfie Devine is perhaps the most exciting and promising talents.

Devine became Tottenham‘s youngest ever player and goalscorer when he made his debut in the FA Cup win over Marine back in 2021 (Daily Mail). He was just 16 years and 163 days old at the time.

Given he is still only 19-years-old now, it’s not surprising Ange Postecoglou decided to loan Devine out for the season to gain valuable experience. His new home for the campaign is with League One side Port Vale.

He’s enjoying life there, too, especially of late. Just within the last week, Devine has scored two goals to take his tally to three goals and two assists in 14 appearances for Vale (Transfermarkt).

PERTH, AUSTRALIA – JULY 18: Alfie Devine of Hotspur passes the ball during the pre-season friendly match between Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United at Optus Stadium on July 18, 2023 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Alfie Devine the hero for Port Vale

His latest effort proved decisive in the Carabao Cup encounter against Mansfield, and his manager, Andy Crosby, is clearly very happy with his loan star.

Speaking to the Port Vale Youtube channel, Crosby said: “It was an outstanding goal from Alfie Devine. A young player who’s been with us a while, is earning the trust for his performances and the way he’s conducting himself.”

Spurs Web Opinion

I’m delighted to see Alfie Devine playing so well for Port Vale and he seems to be becoming something of a talisman for them. If he keeps this up, he will end up starting week in week out, and that is going to hugely benefit his development and be such a boost for Tottenham in the long term, too.

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Regarded by Tottenham Hotspur as one of the brightest young talents at the club, Alfie Devine is clearly enjoying life in League One since making the temporary switch to Port Vale.

The decision was made to send the 19-year-old out on loan this season rather than keep him in Ange Postecoglou‘s squad. So far, that appears to have been a wise decision.

Devine scored a goal and provided an assist in the win over Oxford United just before the international break earlier this month. He started the next two games, but had to settle for a substitute appearance at the weekend.

The playmaker was back in the starting line-up for Port Vale’s third-round tie with Sutton United in the Carabao Cup, and could well find himself starting at the weekend after a sterling performance.

Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images

Alfie Devine steals the show for Port Vale

In the WhoScored match report from the 2-1 win, Devine was given a 7.8 out of 10 rating, the highest of anyone in the game.

Devine provided an assist for his teammate Funso Ojo to score the winning goal in the 83rd minute, but that’s not all.

The Spurs star took three shots, more than anyone on the field, with two of them on target. He also made five key passes throughout the game, again, outdoing everyone else on the pitch.

Devine’s passing accuracy came out at a very respectable 81.4% and he made 78 touches during the game, something only three players can say they bettered.

Spurs Web Opinion

What a performance from Alfie Devine. If he keeps playing like this, it will be a great season for him, and for Port Vale too. This is exactly the kind of experience he needed to take his game to the next level.

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After joining Spurs, Donley has impressed in every age group squad, and in November 2020, he was given the chance to make his U18 debut. From then on, there was no looking back for Donley. Although he made his debut in the 2020/21 season, this was not his breakout year.

The season after making his debut, Donley became a regular starter, and he made sure his place in the squad was secure.

He went on to have a stellar season and ended up in the top five goalscorers in the league with 18 goals to boot. Not only did he bring goals to the table, but he was an excellent provider and picked up six assists in the league (Transfermarkt). 

LEYLAND, ENGLAND – APRIL 15: Jamie Donley of Tottenham Hotspur smiles as they warm up prior to the Premier League 2 match between Blackburn Rovers and Tottenham Hotspur at Leyland County Ground on April 15, 2023 in Leyland, England. (Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images)

You would expect him to keep his rich vein of form in the next season; however, it was somewhat disrupted. Donley had to share his time between the U18s and the U21s due to injuries. The lack of depth in the U21 squad meant he had to start for them when he should have been starting for the U18s.

This constant switching between the two squads brought irregularity for him, in the U18s, he was superb, picking up nine goal contributions in six games (Transfermarkt). However, his return in the U21s was not as impressive, with just five G/A in 21 games. 

The academy set-up was becoming distorted, and under Antonio Conte, there was also a lack of cohesion between the U21s and the starting XI, with very few academy players in the cup squads.

Not only this, Alfie Devine spent the whole season travelling with the first team, yet he only played one minute in the whole season. This is just one example of the poor relationship between the academy and Conte’s squads.

The disappointment for the academy didn’t stop there. The U21s faced the risk of relegation going into the last game of the season. Although the U21s won their match, results elsewhere meant they were relegated. This, however, was not the case, as a rule change in the PL2 meant they would not face relegation and instead would be part of a newly formatted league.

Jamie Donley is a gem of the Tottenham academy

Not many expected much of Spurs in the PL2 this year after last season. This didn’t dishearten the young stars, and they started the season off with four consecutive wins, including a 5-0 win over reigning champions Manchester City.

At the forefront of this spectacular form is Donley. He has led the attack for Spurs and has created a superb partnership with Yago Santiago and Jude Soonsup-Bell. These three have been so influential in Spurs’ form and output in the opening games. Although Donley sits in front of Santiago and Soonsup-Bell.

In the opening game against Man City Donley was flawless, and he picked up two assists. One of which came from his relentless pressure and pressing, something that has become a regular in his game.

He carried this momentum into the next game, against Newcastle. In this game, Donley was once again a magician. After being played down the line, he put in a perfect low-swinging cross to Soonsup-Bell, who tapped it past the keeper. A move that was orchestrated by Donley’s playmaking ability.

Donley didn’t show any signs of slowing down, and in the next week, he would once again be as influential as ever against Derby. After a ball trickled away in the distance, Donley tracked it down and dove into a tackle, winning the ball and starting the Spurs attack.

He then re-positioned himself and received the ball without looking at the goal. Donley powered a ball into the box, which landed perfectly for Soonsup-Bell, who didn’t even have to change his run. This was an outrageous pass that most Premier League stickers wouldn’t dare to try.

Half an hour later, Donley would once again demonstrate his immense passing ability. After a ball rolled away from the goal area, Donely chased it and turned to put it back towards the back post.

He did this without looking at the area, and yet it still found Soonsup-Bell perfectly at the back post. Donley was ominous against Derby and proved he is truly a multi-faceted striker who can be a dynamo or a devastating poacher.

STEVENAGE, ENGLAND – APRIL 03: Jamie Donley of Tottenham Hotspur looks on during the Premier League 2 match between Tottenham Hotspur U21 v Manchester City U21 at The Lamex Stadium on April 03, 2023 in Stevenage, England. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

In Spurs’ most recent fixture against Sunderland in the cup, Nile John was tripped in the box just 20 minutes in. The referee had no choice but to point to the penalty spot and up-step Donley.

With total composure, he fired it into the bottom right corner, giving Spurs the lead. Spurs went on to win the game in the dying seconds after a stunning Harvey White freekick.

Donley has thrived so far this season and will no doubt continue to dominate the league with the rest of the highly talented Spurs U21 side. Hopefully, we will see Donley make his 1XI debut this season; however, now that Spurs are out of the Carabao Cup, this narrows the fixtures he could do this in.

It’s most likely he will have to wait until the FA Cup fixtures or if there is an injury to one of the Spurs frontline players.

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Postecoglou has had quite the impact in his opening games as manager. His free-flowing, attacking football has excited supporters and helped restore the club’s lost identity.

Fans boarded a boat sailing across the River Thames before the Fulham game to sing and celebrate the return of the Tottenham Hotspur which supporters know and love (YouTube). Songs of Ange Postecoglou and his team resounded throughout Central London.

What unfolded in the following hours can only be described as an unnecessary defeat. Spurs lost on penalties, but the win should have been secured in ninety minutes.

LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 29: Rodrigo Muniz of Fulham is tackled by Davinson Sanchez of Tottenham Hotspur during the Carabao Cup Second Round match between Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur at Craven Cottage on August 29, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Nine Spurs changes for Premier League opponents

Postecoglou made nine changes from the team which started against Bournemouth (Football.London). This led to another cup exit against a lower-quality opponent.

The Australian coach made the excuse that he needed to get to know his full squad. In a post-match interview, he asked, “How am I going to find out about our players”? (Sky Sports)

Postecoglou makes a valid point. In order to trim the squad, he must first understand who meets his standards. Yet the issue is not making some adjustments, but full-on squad rotation.

No domestic trophy should be treated as inferior to the Premier League. The Carabao Cup provided a realistic chance for the Lilywhites to end a 15-year trophy drought. Fielding a first team would be a welcome move.

Despite this, Ange could have probably got away with three or four changes. The problem is he went overboard and underestimated Fulham. Nine changes was too many and resulted in a defeat.

The substitutions were too late. Ange often utilised his bench around the 60-minute mark at Celtic. When Spurs scored the equaliser, he should have brought on the likes of Maddison and Bissouma to seal the win.

The irony is that Fulham will play Norwich at home in the next round of the Carabao Cup. If Postecoglou had made fewer changes, he could have fielded a weakened squad in the next round instead and had a greater chance of success.

Postecoglou cited the Champions League as a reason for his nine changes (Sky Sports). He could not use a European competition to measure the quality of his players. This is actually a good reason why he should have played with more first-team players.

The first team will already have a quieter schedule than usual. They should therefore be used in important matches.

Also, most supporters already knew which players are not first-team quality. The midfield combination of Skipp and Hojbjerg was used enough last season to know it does not work. Meanwhile, Davinson Sanchez has been given numerous opportunities and cost the team repeatedly.

Ange may be new to the club, but he continued the ongoing rhythm of playing the same players and expecting different results.

He had pre-season to test his players. Ultimately, most fans knew what to expect the moment they saw the lineup.

Having failed to treat the Carabao Cup as an important trophy, Postecoglou now only has the Premier League and FA Cup to play for.

There is a good chance Spurs will secure a top-four spot, but this cannot compare with winning a cup. If the club wishes to be taken seriously, it must give everything to fill the void in the trophy cabinet.

Postecoglou has started well in the league, but anything other than winning the title is insignificant. When a realistic chance at a trophy comes along, it must be taken.

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Some Spurs fans were surprised when the team featured nine changes from the win against Bournemouth, with only Micky van de Ven and Richarlison keeping their place in the starting eleven.

LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 29: Rodrigo Muniz of Fulham challenges for the ball with Micky van de Ven of Tottenham Hotspur during the Carabao Cup Second Round match between Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur at Craven Cottage on August 29, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

The performance from the Lilywhites at Craven Cottage left a lot to be desired as they struggled to impose themselves on the game, and eventually battled their way to a 1-1 draw, only to be knocked out on penalties.

The result means that Tottenham are out of the competition which arguably represented their best chance of ending their trophy drought this season.

Postecoglou defends nine changes to Spurs XI

When asked if the game should have been treated as more of a priority, given that Spurs do not have European football to worry about this season, Postecoglou told Football.London: “It is my priority but there is no European football so how am I going to find out about our players?

“What opportunity would I have to do that other than the game? They are all part of our club. We thought they’d be able to bring a different energy tonight, and that doesn’t mean the cup or any game isn’t our priority.

“From my perspective, we’re very much at the discovery stage so we need to find out and give the players the opportunity to contribute. Because that’s why they’re here – they’re not just here to make up the numbers. They keep working hard and deserved the opportunity to go out and play tonight.”

The likes of Davinson Sanchez, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Ivan Perisic certainly did not do their chances of breaking into the starting eleven any favours with the displays they delivered on Tuesday night.

When asked if he learned who can rely on, Postecoglou responded: “I wouldn’t say can’t rely on, that’s a bit harsh for me. I liked the way we hung in there, that character and resilience is going to be important for us and needed going forward amongst the group. We’ve come away in a cup game to a Premier League side and lost on penalties.

“If we’d lost 4-0 or got blown away, maybe they’d be a different discussion to be had but if we’d won on penalties would my view be different right now? No. They’d be exactly the same.

“It’s not measured by the outcome, it’s measured by the whole experience of seeing the guys out there and how much they’re understanding our football. There were some good moments and some moments we have to improve on.”

Spurs Web Opinion

I can understand why Ange wanted to give opportunities to fringe players as it was important to keep everyone on their toes and to ensure that the dressing room morale remains high.

The one thing that was most glaringly obvious from that game was the fact that Davinson Sanchez is simply not good enough on the ball to play in Ange’s backline.

The Colombian’s decision-making regarding the timing of his passes and the power he puts into his passes is extremely poor, and it would be a massive error if Ange decided to keep him at the club even as a backup.

In fact, if it came to it, I would even keep Eric Dier over Sanchez as the England international (despite his lack of recovery pace) is good enough in possession to help us build from the back the way Ange wants to.

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Let’s take a look at five things we learned from the match:

LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 29: Adama Traore of Fulham and Oliver Skipp of Tottenham Hotspur battle for the ball during the Carabao Cup Second Round match between Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur at Craven Cottage on August 29, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Tottenham are out –

If there is one thing Tottenham are good at, it’s bringing you crashing back down to Earth just as you’re starting to enjoy yourself. A new manager, a team flying on the pitch, and no European football. A couple of cup runs was surely on the cards, right? Wrong. Spurs are knocked out of the Carabao Cup in the second round by Fulham.

That Ange starting XI –

For the first time since arriving, Ange Postecoglou will face some criticism this evening. After implying he was going to take the cups seriously, he made nine changes from his in-form Premier League side, including a number of players being heavily linked with exits starting against Fulham. No Maddison, Bissouma, Son, Kulusevski, Romero, Udogie, or Sarr. It seemed far from surprising that the same old rotation problems came up once more.

Penalty takers –

Not that we want to revisit that shootout, but we can at least take a look at who might be Tottenham’s new penalty-taker in the Premier League. Son has a rather poor record from the spot and was lucky to see his creep in. Kulusevski and Maddison looked pretty confident from the spot. Davinson Sanchez, well the less said about that the better. I would be putting Madders or Deki on the spot-kicks full-time.

Richarlison off the mark –

Richarlison is off the mark for the season with a well-taken header, although he failed to play the full 90 minutes again, perhaps due to an ankle knock this time. He was a frustrating figure to watch once again this evening though. It feels as though he wants to make something big happen every time he touches the ball, and you can’t play like that as a lone number nine. Think of all the times Harry Kane won cheap fouls, brought others into play, and popped off one/two touch passes to retain possession. Richarlison has the talent to do that, he just needs to switch mindsets completely.

The silver lining –

We always try to look for some kind of silver lining, but it’s tough tonight. With no European football, Spurs fans were dying to compete for silverware and lift something for the first time in years. Falling at the first hurdle is a real balloon burster which hopefully won’t impact Premier League momentum. The one thing you can say is that Spurs can now 100% concentrate on the league until 2024, but does that really mean anything unless you’re trying to win the entire thing? I think some Tottenham fans would perhaps even swap a top-four finish for a cup this season, so tonight hurts.

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Tottenham player ratings vs Fulham:

LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 29: Rodrigo Muniz of Fulham challenges for the ball with Micky van de Ven of Tottenham Hotspur during the Carabao Cup Second Round match between Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur at Craven Cottage on August 29, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Fraser Forster – 6 – Can’t blame him for the goal and he made the saves he needed to make, including a couple of big ones in the second half. Didn’t always look too confident with the ball at his feet though, which is strange because he usually does. Disappointed in the penalty shoot out really.

Emerson Royal – 5 – Struggled with the pace of the game in the inverted role this evening. Wasteful with the ball at his feet at times in his own third and also didn’t defend his own back post too well.

Davinson Sanchez – 3.5 – A bit all over the place again today. Fulham beat him for fun in the first half and he got himself into some real muddles. Then he came up with a couple of really impressive blocks. You just wish you could get that kind of solid defending more consistently across 90 minutes. Why on Earth he took (and missed) the third penalty, I will never know.

Micky Van de Ven – 7 – Looked a little less imperious without his buddy Romero but still oozed class throughout. Just looks like he’s placing the game in third gear and is always in control of every situation… apart from the own goal of course but you can’t really blame him for a deflection.

Ben Davies – 5.5 – Played a little better than Emerson on the other side when on the ball but still seemed a little stuck in that inverted role. Saw plenty of the ball but without too much movement to aim for, which doesn’t help.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – 5 – Nothing specific to moan about but the difference between Bissouma and Hojbjerg in the pivot was huge. Not as talented in turning on the ball and driving Spurs up the pitch. We saw a lot more sideways and backward passing from Pierre.

Oliver Skipp – 4.5 – You can never fault his work off the ball but Skipp’s passing was really disappointing tonight. Wasted a couple of really promising attacks and gave the ball away once in his own third which almost led to a goal conceded on the break.

Giovani Lo Celso – 4.5 – A couple of nearly balls and that’s about all you can say. He was taken off at half-time for Dane Scarlett. Not a great advert for him to push James Maddison.

Manor Solomon – 5 – One or two bright spark type moments but Solomon was rather weak and wasteful on the ball. I suspect he will be more effective for Spurs when they are at their creative best, rather than a heavily-rotated side. Looked more dangerous off the left.

Richarlison – 6 – Have to give him credit for his goal, which he took very well. But his overall centre-forward play was frustrating at times. It’s like he’s hard-wired to try and create a scoring chance with every touch, when most the time he should be holding it up and passing it off.

Ivan Perisic – 5.5 – Very poor all night and wasteful with the ball, which is unlike him. Then he pulled a beautiful assist out of nowhere, as he so often does. Perhaps why Postecoglou likes him more as a final 20-minute substitute so far this season.

Substitutes: 

Dane Scarlett – 5.5 – Hojbjerg should have squared the ball to him for a tap-in. Almost went through on goal before taking a heavy touch. Didn’t see much of the ball to start with but grew into the game

Heung-min Son – 5 – Looked lacking in confidence when he burst into the Fulham box on the break and stopped in his own tracks. A little lucky with his penalty.

Dejan Kulusevski – 6 – Made a positive impact, particularly on the break, after coming off the bench. Highlight was a nutmeg down the right side of the box followed by a dangerous cross. Scored his penalty very well.

Pape Matar Sarr – 5 – Never quite got up to speed with the game. Lots of loose passes.

James Maddison – 6 – The biggest impact off the bench. A mesmerising run into the box that almost led to a goal and some lovely passes in behind for others too. Tucked his penalty home too.

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Ange Postecoglou’s side head into the break currently 1-0 behind courtesy of a Micky van de Ven own goal.

Fraser Forster: A first outing since the final day of last season at Leeds.  Has looked slightly nervous with the ball on his feet and taking a little too long to release the ball.  Saved well with his feet from Muniz and from a header. 5.

Emerson Royal: Has been tucking in once again, dangerous to leave Sanchez so exposed. 5.

Davinson Sanchez: Still has a mistake in him as proved early on with a short back pass.  His defending for Fulham’s opener was awful, attempted some sort of jump and got turned inside out. 3.

Micky van de Ven: Retained his place along with Richarlison.  Showed his pace when he even beat jet-heeled Adama Traore in a race  Unfortuate to have turned the ball into his own goal, his second in four games. 6.

LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 29: Rodrigo Muniz of Fulham is tackled by Davinson Sanchez of Tottenham Hotspur during the Carabao Cup Second Round match between Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur at Craven Cottage on August 29, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Ben Davies: Captaining the side.  Has to be better with his decision making. 5.

Oliver Skipp: His partnership with Hojbjerg simply does not work.  The drop off from the Sarr/Bissouma partnership is frightening, 5.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg: Despite all the speculation surrounding his future, was given the nod and has done little. 4.

Giovani Lo Celso: Having his first start for the new manager, some nice touches but limited with the way his side are playing. 6.

Manor Solomon: Facing his former side and has been invisible out on the right. 4.

Richarlison: Another poor half from the Brazilian, his poor touch nearly saw Fulham score a second through Muniz.  Had his first shot on the 36th minute. 3.

Ivan Perisic: Played most of the first half facing his own goal, sloppy with the ball. 5.

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The Australian gets his first taste of managing Tottenham in a domestic English Cup competition when they face their London rivals at Craven Cottage in the second round stage.

It has been many years since Spurs last took part in the competition at this stage after their disappointing eight-place finish last season saw them finish outside of the European qualification places and as a result, found themselves in the draw earlier than usual.

Spurs fans will be hoping for a good run in the competition to end their long wait for a competitive piece of silverware, their hopes last season were ended in the third round stage by Nottingham Forest, who were at the time bottom of the Premier League but run out comfortable 2-0 winners against Antonio Conte’s Tottenham.

(Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)

Can Spurs go far in the Carabao Cup under Ange Postecoglou?

Fulham come into the fixture on the back of a hard fought 2-2 draw at Arsenal last weekend and have four points to their name from their opening three Premier League fixtures.

Postecoglou was asked about his thoughts of facing Fulham in the tie in the build-up to the game and told Football.London: “Mate, I don’t know. I haven’t had great luck with draws in my whole career, to be fair. I kind of expect them to be challenging ones. But that’s all right, it’s a good challenge for us.

“Like I said, there’s a group of players who are ready to play. It’s a great opportunity to get them out there, they’ve been working hard in training. It’s a cup competition, we know we’ve got to go there and win. That’s what we’re going to try to do.”

This is who takes to the field under the lights in West London this evening:

Our side to face Fulham! pic.twitter.com/2WU3MqSRI6

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) August 29, 2023

Tottenham: Forster, Royal, Sanchez, Van De Ven, Davies, Hojbjerg, Skipp, Lo Celso, Solomon, Richarlison, Perisic.

Subs: Vicario, Romero, Udogie, Bissouma, Maddison, Sarr, Son, Scarlett

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With no European football this season, Spurs enter the competition in the second round and will be looking to make a major push for their first silverware since 2008.

Tottenham have already recorded wins over Manchester United and Bournemouth this season, as well as a 2-2 draw away to Brentford in the Premier League.

It remains to be seen whether Postecoglou will decide to ring the changes for the London derby this evening, or keep a strong starting XI and take the cups seriously this year.

We caught up with Tottenham legend and friend of The Spurs Web, Pascal Chimbonda once more to get his best score prediction for the Carabao Cup match.

NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND – JANUARY 25: A detailed view of the Carabao Cup trophy prior to the Carabao Cup Semi Final 1st Leg match between Nottingham Forest and Manchester United at City Ground on January 25, 2023 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

The Tottenham Predictions

Pascal – 2-0 Tottenham win

Spurs Web – 2-0 Tottenham win

The Rules

The rules are simple – We will be predicting Tottenham scores against Pascal for the entire 2023/24 season. Three points will be awarded for a perfect prediction, while a correct score will get one point.

The Table

Spurs Web – 5 points after 3 games (2 correct results, 1 correct score)

Pascal – 4 points after 3 games (1 correct result, 1 correct score)

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We believe that Guglielmo Vicario will continue between the sticks as Ange Postecoglou looks to get him as acclimatised to British football as possible.

At right-back, Emerson Royal comes in for Pedro Porro, and Ben Davies gives Destiny Udogie a rest at left-back following the youngster’s knock against Bournemouth.

We predict that Postecoglou will keep his pairing of Micky Van de Ven and Cristian Romero in order to allow them to forge a stronger partnership.

In midfield, James Maddison drops down to the bench to give some minutes to Giovani Lo Celso, while Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Oliver Skipp replace Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr.

Up front, Heung-min Son and Richarlison both start as Postecoglou will likely want to get them off the mark this season, while Manor Solomon comes in for Dejan Kulusevski who scored at the weekend.

Predicted Tottenham XI vs Fulham

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The Carabao Cup represents the first opportunity for Postecoglou to pick up some silverware as the Spurs head coach and break the club’s 15-year trophy draught, going back to the last time they won the competition back in 2008.

It is a competition that the Lilywhites have not always taken seriously over the years, with some of the Australian predecessors prioritising finishing in the top four over the domestic cups.

Postecoglou, who has won silverware everywhere he has been, has insisted that he and his players will be taking tomorrow’s fixture very seriously.

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND – JANUARY 31: The Carabao Cup trophy is cleaned ahead of the Carabao Cup Semi Final 2nd Leg match between Newcastle United and Southampton at St James’ Park on January 31, 2023 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)

When asked if he would tell the players that cup competitions are really important, the 57-year-old told Football.London: “I love winning. I don’t care what it is. I love winning and the players know that. We have a game on Tuesday and I want to win. That is all I am thinking.

“I don’t care if it is a cup competition or whatever it is, playing in the car park or on a rooftop. We just need to go out there and try to win because I love winning. That will be the message.”

Postecoglou is looking forward to Carabao Cup fight

Spurs have certainly not been handed an easy draw, having to win a London derby away from home to progress to the third round but Postecoglou insisted that he is looking forward to the challenge.

When asked about being drawn against Fulham first up, he responded: “Mate, I don’t know. I haven’t had great luck with draws in my whole career, to be fair. I kind of expect them to be challenging ones. But that’s all right, it’s a good challenge for us.

“Like I said, there’s a group of players who are ready to play. It’s a great opportunity to get them out there, they’ve been working hard in training. It’s a cup competition, we know we’ve got to go there and win. That’s what we’re going to try to do.”

Spurs Web Opinion

With Tottenham not being in Europe this season, there is no excuse for the club to not put their full focus on doing as well as possible in the domestic cup competitions.

The Carabao Cup is the easier of the two to win and so, tomorrow’s game is arguably even more important than a Premier League fixture for us.

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Lo Celso made his first competitive appearance for Tottenham in almost two years in the 2-0 win over Bournemouth on Saturday and the midfielder subsequently took to social media to admit that he was delighted to put on the Spurs shirt again.

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Meanwhile, his close friend and compatriot, Cristian Romero, confirmed in an interview with The Evening Standard last week that the midfielder wants to stay in North London and make an impact this season.

Despite this, there continues to be much speculation over the 27-year-old’s future, with Barcelona (Javi Miguel), Real Betis (Rudy Galetti) and Napoli (Il Mattino) said to be exploring late moves for the player.

Postecoglou remarked on Saturday that Lo Celso is unlucky not to have been given more game time this season ( Football.London).

Lo Celso will start vs Fulham in the Carabao Cup

When asked about those comments and whether the player will be staying at the club, the Australian gave a diplomatic response but he did confirm that the midfielder will start the Carabao Cup tie at Craven Cottage.

The Tottenham head coach told Football.London about Lo Celso: “As I said yesterday, he’s been a bit unlucky. He did well when he came on for us. I thought all the subs did well when he came on for us. I thought all the subs did really well just to help us control the game.

“We’ve got a game Tuesday night and he’ll play. It will be, for want of a better word, a fun week. We’ve got plenty going on for sure. I’m just dealing with what’s in front of me. Unless I get told otherwise, I’ll work with the group I’ve got and focus on Tuesday night.”

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I am quite excited to see how the likes of Lo Celso, Hojberjg, Perisic, Solomon and Emerson get on against Fulham as they all have an opportunity to show the manager what they can do and stake a claim for a place in the starting eleven against Burnley.

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The North Londoners secured their first three away points of the Premier League season earlier today with a 2-0 win at Bournemouth and Postecoglou admits he will now shuffle his side after naming an unchanged line-up at the Vitality Stadium.

Tottenham started the window with the arrivals of Guglielmo Vicario, James Maddison, Manor Solomon, Alejo Veliz, Ashley Phillips and more recently, Micky van de Ven, with Solomon being the senior player who has had to be patient to get a handful of minutes.

Postecoglou is dealing with a bloated squad with only Harry Winks having headed out of the door on a permanent basis and Troy Parrott and Joe Rodon sealing loan deals.

(Photo by Christopher Lee/Getty Images)

Spurs will make changes against Fulham

The likes of Hugo Lloris, Djed Spence, Harvey White and Tanguy Ndombele all still remain at the club despite not being in the plans of the Australian and there remains less than a week before the window closes until January.

There are some players within the squad who have had limited chances to play in the opening three chances with Manor Solomon and Giovani Lo Celso among those who will be hoping to feature in the Carabao Cup tie on Tuesday evening.

He told Football.London: “Yeah we’ll make some changes. We’ve got some guys who are really keen to play and are working hard in training. And the way we play takes a lot out of us.

“It’s a short turnaround and also another game the following week. We’ll make some changes, but because we want to win the game. That’s why we’re making changes. Not because I want to give guys a game. Hopefully by making the changes we maintain the intensity and tempo and quality of our game.”

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It is going to be a busy few days at Tottenham, the club have to move a lot of players off the wage bill rather than having them stagnate around the new first-team squad which Postecoglou is working hard to build the new ethos of.

There also has to be activity with incoming, notably a new forward with Richarlison having struggled in the opening three matches.  The club must look to bring in a raw talent such as Gift Orban.

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With Tottenham failing to qualify for European competitions for the first time in well over a decade, the club will now enter the Carabao Cup at the second round stage.

The Lilywhites have been handed a relatively tough draw, needing to win a London derby against Fulham to progress through to the next stage.

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND – JANUARY 31: The Carabao Cup trophy is cleaned ahead of the Carabao Cup Semi Final 2nd Leg match between Newcastle United and Southampton at St James’ Park on January 31, 2023 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)

Spurs to take on Fulham at the end of August

Spurs have now confirmed that they will be travelling to Craven Cottage for the clash on Tuesday 29 August, with kick-off at 7.45 pm (UK).

The clash comes just three days after Tottenham’s trip to the Vitality Stadium to take on Bournemouth and four days before they travel up to Turf Moore to face Burnley.

Being drawn away at Fulham also means that Ange Postecoglou’s men play just two of their first seven matches of the season across all competitions at home.

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The one thing that we know for a fact under Postecoglou is that the style of play would not change even if the Australian names a B-team for the cup clashes.

However, this is the first trophy that he will get a chance to win as Spurs head coach and with no European football to worry about this season, I expect the 57-year-old to name a relatively strong team.

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Ange Postecoglou’s side have found themselves in the hat at the second round stage for the first time in many years after failing to secure a place in European competition following last season’s disappointing eighth place finish in the Premier League table.

Postecoglou’s first taste of domestic cup football at Tottenham will see the North Londoners face fellow Premier League side Fulham at the Craven Cottage with the draw having been split into North and South sections.

The match is scheduled to be played the week commencing August 28th.

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Can Spurs win the Carabao Cup this season?

Last season’s involvement proved to be a disaster for Antonio Conte, having been knocked out of the competition at the third round stage following a 2-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest.

With no European football to focus on, Tottenham certainly have no excuses over a hectic fixture schedule and have enough depth in the squad to certainly prioritise the effort in looking to go all the way to Wembley.

The last time they won the Carabao Cup was back in 2008 after Jonathan Woodgate’s late header saw Tottenham beat Chelsea 2-1 while Juande Ramos was the man in charge.

Should Spurs make it all the way to the final, it is scheduled for Sunday February 25, 2024.

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Conte claimed that Tottenham’s hectic fixture schedule has caught up with his squad from both a physical and mental aspect after they failed to threaten Steve Cooper’s side in a toothless performance at the City Ground.

Tottenham once again lived up to their reputation as slow starters with another lethargic first half performance and unlike in recent matches, they failed to improve considerably in the second half and found themselves 2-0 down by the 57th minute.

Concerningly, this was Tottenham’s fifth domestic game in a row in which they have found themselves 2-0 behind and in reality, never looked like getting back into the tie and instead exit at the third round stage to end yet another chance of winning a trophy.

Harry Kane was a lonely figure in attack with Tottenham’s lack of creative players once again clear for all to see and instead had to watch on as almost a spectator until he was brought off two minutes after Forest’s second.

Conte told Football.London: “The performance, I have to be honest, I think maybe tonight the energy was really poor for us. Don’t forget that it was the 12th game in a really short period.

“The games that we played in the past, every game was really really difficult and we lost a lot of mental energy and physical energy. I think today we arrived in our heart and mind to try to win but if I have to say something was wrong with my players, I tell you not. I only say thanks to my players because there are players who are really tired.

“I have to manage the situation with Hojbjerg and Bentancur because they were tired. The same for Harry Kane. Harry until this morning we waited to see if he could start or not. In this situation he was the only striker so again I can only say thanks to my players.”

(Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images )

SpursWeb Opinion

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but Tottenham should have gone out and looked to have taken the game to Forest in the first half in the hope of securing a result by half time.  Instead, it was a case of the same old story with too many players who are simply not up to the standard of a club that claim they want to compete.   

Davinson Sanchez for example should be nowhere near the starting eleven and Ryan Sessegnon is simply too inconsistent with dips in confidence impacting his game to the level where he offered little down the left.

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Let’s take a look at the five things we learned from the game:

Tottenham are out – Yes, obviously Spurs are out of the League Cup for another year. But you can also look at the silver linings. It would have been easier to take had Conte named a weakened XI, but being knocked out will free up a lot of time in the new year. This should give Spurs time for more preparation for Premier League games, and a slot or two for rearranged fixtures. But Tottenham also need to stop embarrassing themselves in the first half and conceding first.

Davinson Sanchez the standout – It feels like every time Davinson Sanchez is called upon at the moment, he comes up short. For too many years now, the centre-back has carried errors with him in every game, and today was no different. He let Lodi cut inside and curl a shot into the goal far too easily, and was generally all over the place on and off the ball. I’m not sure why Tanganga does not get chances ahead of him, to be honest.

Djed Spence taking his chance – One of the bright sparks in an embarrassing defeat, Djed Spence finally got some meaningful time off the bench, with Conte letting him have 20 minutes or so. One of his first times touching the ball, he drove through the heart of the pitch, gained Spurs 30 yards or so, and won a free-kick. He also went close with a header at the back post towards the end of the game. Surely this warrants some chances off the bench in the Premier League.

Safe hands Forster – The only player in that backline to walk away with his head held high, Forster enjoyed a great debut. Yes, he made a number of routine stops that were straight at him. But he also closed off the angle and made two huge saves with Forest going through on goal. Debuts can be nervy, but Forster looks to be a steady pair of hands, and not bad with his feet either. Well done, Fraser.

The return of depth – For the first time in many many weeks, Spurs had some depth on the bench today. Richarlison was back from injury. Kulusevski came off the bench again. Lucas Moura was there too. If Spurs can keep their forward players fit heading into January, they will surely pick up more comfortable wins. We have to look for the positives after games like that.

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Let’s take a look at how the individual players got on:

Fraser Forster – 8 – The only defensive player who can hold his head high. Made all the routine stops you would expect, plus a couple of huge saves as Forest went through on goal.

Matt Doherty – 4 – Didn’t really offer enough of a threat down the right side. By no means his worst game, but lacked that drive or crossing quality that Conte needs from his wing-backs.

Davinson Sanchez – 3 – Let Lodi cut inside to curl home the opener and was all over the place at the back for most of the game. He just does not fill you with confidence in that back line.

Eric Dier – 4 – Just felt a little clumsy this evening on the ball, and a little lost at times with his positioning defensively. Back in his preferred central role, I expected more solidity from Dier.

Clement Lenglet – 4 – Definitely the best of the trio at the back, but that isn’t saying much. What he provides on the ball, he often loses positionally and gets caught out too often.

Ryan Sessegnon – 4 – He runs and runs all day long for you, but Sess doesn’t have the consistency to his game yet. Didn’t provide enough quality on the ball or in the final third today. He did battle through an injury for the last portion of the match though.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – 5 – Struggled to find his way into the game in the first 45 and was replaced by Bentancur. Not his worst, but just a classic first-half Spurs performance.

Yves Bissouma – 6 – Struggled at times like most of the Spurs players, but Bissouma at least showed some drive through the middle of the pitch. A few fleeting moments of class from the midfielder.

Oliver Skipp – 5.5 – Provided some much-needed energy on the right side of midfield, especially in the first half when everyone else was lacking. Still needs minutes to improve his sharpness though. Needed to defend better for Forest’s second.

Ivan Perisic – 4 – Not sure what to type because he was barely in the game. Played up front with Kane again but cut an isolated figure until he was subbed off.

Harry Kane – 4 – Like Perisic, he was barely involved. A mere passenger. And Conte knew that, which is why he took him off early to keep him rested. How Spurs can’t fashion a chance for him, I will never know.

Substitutes: 

Rodrigo Bentancur – 5 – Definitely provided more of a zip to the midfield, but was also a little erratic at times towards the end of the match.

Richarlison – 6 – At least looked dangerous after coming on. Had the ball in the back of the net but it was ruled offside.

Bryan Gil – 5 – Gives you a lot of energy, running, and desire, which unfortunately is more than a lot of the other players at times.

Dejan Kulusevski – 5 – Not up to the standards of his Liverpool cameo, but you can’t expect him to come on and change the game twice in a week when the starting XI offer nothing.

Djed Spence – 7 – Actually looked very impressive after finally getting some minutes. A nice solo run down the heart of the pitch and even went close to a goal with a header.

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Tottenham head into the break against Steve Cooper’s side currently level at 0-0 after yet another sluggish start from the north Londoners.

Fraser Forster: Making his competitive debut this evening.  Did well to save from Lingard’s header. 6.

Matt Doherty: Smashed a shot straight at Hennessey. 6.

Davinson Sanchez: Was very fortunate to see his clearance cannon back off Awoniyin and hit the post.  His distribution has once again not been up to standard. 5.

Eric Dier: Headed over the crossbar from a Perisic corner just before the half-hour mark. 6.

Clement Lenglet: Has been very tidy at the back. 7.

Ryan Sessegnon: A quiet half, has offered little down the left up against Serge Aurier. 5.

Oliver Skipp: Has looked sharp when on the ball, but has been closed down quickly. 6.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg: Desperately in need of a rest, has tried to get the ball moving. 6.

Yves Bissouma: Has done well in the middle of the park to build upon his decent showing against Liverpool. 7.

Ivan Perisic: Once again, playing as a second attacking option to Kane, his delivery from set pieces has been solid and also set up the opportunity for Doherty. 6.

Harry Kane: With a lack of attacking options around him, he has been largely isolated in attack. 6.

(Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images )

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