After Middlesbrough knocked Tottenham out of the FA Cup on Tuesday night, Alan Shearer slammed the ‘flaky’ Tottenham Hotspurs.
Boro caused another Cup upset by knocking out Spurs in the fifth round with a 1-0 extra-time triumph. Josh Coburn, a teenager, was the hero.
Boro knocked off Manchester United on penalties in the fourth round at Old Trafford, then overcame Spurs in style, with 19-year-old Coburn’s 107th-minute strike ending the tie.
After an abysmal display on Teesside by Antonio Conte’s side, the Championship team booked their quarter-final position and ensured Spurs would finish another season without a trophy.
‘This was not an accident,’ Shearer said. Spurs were a shambles, as is usual of Tottenham.
‘From start to finish, they were the superior squad.’ They were first to every challenge, generated opportunities, and were more energetic.’ They made the superior replacements in extra time, and Chris Wilder should be quite proud of his team’s performance tonight.
‘What a night for Middlesbrough and their fans; he (Wilder) was up for it, the players were up for it; it’s just a bad the Tottenham players weren’t.’ Middlesbrough, in typical Tottenham fashion, deserved to be in the quarter-finals.’
Who knows how Conte will respond to this defeat, since their inconsistency continues to stymie any progress, and this result could have long-term repercussions for both his and Harry Kane’s long-term futures at Spurs.
Only a great Premier League finish and a late charge into the top four can save this season, but on recent data, that appears to be a stretch.
Former Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe said: ‘From a Tottenham perspective, this is hugely upsetting.’
‘With all respect to Middlesbrough, you would expect Tottenham to come in and dominate.’
‘Middlesbrough played with purpose and grew in strength. Their younger players entered the game and had an immediate effect.’