Aurier has Tottenham jumping for joy
IT is that time of year when the merits of Mauricio Pochettino’s broader achievements at Tottenham are weighed against the club’s thirst for trophies.
Spurs are into an 11th year without silverware and, while Pochettino’s stock can only really rise with a major honour to his name, the club and supporters are more desperate for immediate success.
But in the right here, right now, given that Tottenham squeezed the life out of Tranmere and left the Wirral without the need of a replay was success in itself.
A draw — like those at Newport County and Rochdale last season — would have left Spurs playing three games a week for the next month. The Carabao Cup semifinal against Chelsea is on the horizon and the prospect of no free midweeks was unpalatable.
Particularly without the authoritative Son Heung-min, who is now off to the Asia Games with South Korea. It might have represented a logistical nightmare for Pochettino. Fatigue is not ideal for a team with title ambitions up against the northern juggernauts.
But they were relentless here, embarrassing Tranmere Rovers. Son turned it on, assisting Fernando Llorente and Serge Aurier before scoring himself inside the second half’s opening 12 minutes.
Spurs were already one up, a scorcher from the boot of Aurier, and gave valuable gametime to the burgeoning Oliver Skipp in midfield and young subs George Marsh and Timothy Eyoma.
Llorente ended up with a hattrick on the night but, for some reason, Pochettino thought it wise to introduce Harry Kane from the bench when already six goals up. The England captain added the seventh from Dele Alli’s pass.
A thoroughly professional evening all told, certainly given Prenton Park is an arena steeped in FA Cup giantkilling history.
There was once an 18-month stint whereby seven top-flight teams became scalps. It is some pedigree. Not this Friday night under the lights, though.
Tranmere reached the quarterfinals of this competition three times in four seasons from 2000, the League Cup final that same year. Three times they narrowly missed out on the Premier League in the play-offs in the 1990s.
Back then the majority of those successes came under John Aldridge, a man whose roots are just over the River Mersey. It is absolutely no coincidence that the
club’s revival, as they bounced back from non-League oblivion last year, has come with Micky Mellon as manager.
He spent two spells here as a player, a man who speaks with genuine authority and affection for a club who have endured spells in severe financial difficulties.
Spurs were met by a team who matched them up and refused to flood midfield, as you might expect. Early on it was open, engaging, teetering on the edge of calamity at times, as the team lying ninth in League Two made sure they pounced on any indecision.
Connor Jennings volleyed over after Juan Foyth’s misjudgment, eyes widening after two stunners in the previous round against Southport. Top scorer James Norwood lost his balance when slipped through, while Manny Monthe forced Paolo Gazzaniga into a save from a corner.
Tottenham did press and probe without panicking. Son failed to capitalise on a rare Steve McNulty mistake, while Ben Davies and Llorente both went close.
Lucas Moura could only pass into the gloves of Scott Davies after Son delayed a through ball perfectly but Tottenham went in at the interval ahead regardless.
Mellon will be irritated by its concession after 40 minutes, Norwood robbed 30 yards from his own goal by Aurier, but what happened next — the fade the Ivory Coast full-back manipulated, swerving into Davies’ top corner — is merely a product of playing in a team as good as this.
The tie was over three minutes after half-time. Son gallivanted down the right, riding a halfhearted challenge by Monthe and, when inside the Tranmere box, had the presence of mind to pick out an unmarked Llorente.
Two became three shortly after Harvey Gilmour spurned a chance for the hosts, Son laying on for Aurier, who drove in the third with ease.
Son then strolled through the Tranmere defence to slip in the fourth just before the hour.
The Korean, a talisman these days, departed to warm applause from all four sides of a ground who were only briefly enlivened for a shock but refused to cower in embarrassment as Llorente scored a quick double to seal the match ball and take his season’s tally to four. With Kane finishing it off, Spurs enjoyed a thoroughly satisfying progression into round four.