Glenn Hoddle believes Tottenham Hotspur should take encouragement from their League Cup final display against Chelsea, despite losing 2-0.
The White Hart Lane side enjoyed the better of the first half at Wembley, with Christian Eriksen almost giving them what would have been a deserved lead when he rattled the crossbar. However, Jose Mourinho’s side took the lead just before the break when John Terry prodded home, and Kyle Walker deflected a Diego Costa show into his own net to double the deficit.
So as the Blues celebrated their fourth League Cup success, Spurs are hurting after a going so close to winning a first major honour since beating the same opponents in the same competition in 2008. But club legend Hoddle was impressed with their performance against their London rivals, and believes Mauricio Pochettino can use this as a stepping stone to something bigger.
“I think Spurs can hold their heads high,” he told Sky Sports after the match. “They were dominating the first half, they had lovely patterns of play, and they were always in the game. It’s a building block. Chelsea are almost the finished article. This Spurs side now has something to work with, but it’s only a building block if they go on to win something in the next couple of years.”
This defeat was particularly bitter as it came just days after their involvement in the UEFA Europa League came to an end at the hands of Fiorentina. Pochettino must now pick his players up as they look to gatecrash the top four and qualify for the UEFA Champions League. Tottenham are currently six points behind fourth-placed Manchester United, albeit with a game in hand.
