Tottenham Hotspur crashed out of the fourth round of the Carabao Cup last night, losing 2-0 against Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United side at St James’ Park.
Thomas Frank’s men were sunk after two goals from Fabian Schar and Nick Woltemade, subsequently offering very little in return at the opposite end of the pitch.
The Dane will no doubt be disappointed with the defeat, but the nature of it too, especially after being unable to find the back of the net with any of their six shots on target.
Such a defeat crosses off the first opportunity for the new manager to get his hands on a piece of silverware after taking the reins during the off-season.
However, regardless of the result, the performance will be the most infuriating aspect for the boss, with numerous players struggling to take advantage of the start handed their way.
Spurs’ poor performers against Newcastle
Richarlison started the 2025/26 season in excellent fashion, scoring twice on the opening day, but the Brazilian has massively failed to deliver over the last few months.
The 28-year-old started the clash against the Magpies last night, but once again struggled, as seen by his tally of just nine passes completed and one big chance missed.
The centre-forward also failed to complete any of the dribbles, crosses or long balls he attempted – ultimately being hugely wasteful in all aspects of his game.
Richarlison wasn’t alone in failing to deliver, with midfielder Pape Sarr unable to stake his claim for a regular role once again in his first start since the end of September.
The Senegalese international was restricted in his double pivot role with Rodrigo Bentancur, subsequently losing possession on ten separate occasions on Tyneside.
The 23-year-old likes to operate with freedom to allow him to create chaos, something which he was unable to do, as seen by his tally of zero dribbles completed.
Despite the showings from the aforementioned duo, one other Lilywhites star massively struggled against Howe’s side, with Frank needing to drop him from his starting eleven.
The Spurs star who needs to be dropped after Newcastle
Last night’s defeat against Newcastle was just the third competitive defeat of the Frank era at Spurs, but it will no doubt highlight the areas of improvement for the manager.
After replacing Ange Postecoglou in the summer, the 51-year-old was handed over £100m worth of funds to make the changes he required to the first team squad.
Mohammed Kudus was his biggest addition at a staggering £55m, but the Ghanaian was dropped to the substitutes bench and only brought on with 25 minutes remaining.
His tally of one goal and four assists in the Premier League highlights his immediate impact in North London, subsequently nailing down the right-wing position as his own.
As a result, Brennan Johnson has often been limited to minutes off the bench himself, but given Kudus’ rest, the Welshman was handed the chance to start from the off.
It was the 24-year-old’s second start in a row after featuring against Everton on Sunday, but once again, he failed to repay the manager for the faith shown in him.
The winger featured for just 65 minutes against the Magpies before being replaced, subsequently showcasing his lack of positive impact on the pitch.
Minutes played
65
Touches
28
Passes completed
11
Crosses completed
0
Shots on target
0
Ground duels lost
100%
Possession lost
14x
Fouls committed
1
He only achieved a total of 28 touches during the defeat – a tally fewer than goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, who managed 50 – whilst also completing just 11 passes.
Johnson also attempted four crosses on Tyneside, but none of which were able to find a teammate – but he also struggled to have an individual impact as he failed to register a single shot on target.
Other tallies, such as 100% ground duels lost and 14 times possession lost, further indicate his struggles, with Frank desperately needing to drop him from his starting eleven.
To top off his dismal night, Johnson was handed a measly 5/10 match rating by The Standard’s Matt Verri – further showcasing how disappointing he was during his 65-minute showing.
The manager will no doubt be hugely disappointed with the Welshman’s inability to impress, with the Dane certainly needing to drop him against Chelsea on Saturday.
Kudus has certainly cemented such a position within the Lilywhites squad, with Johnson now needing to get used to limited minutes off the bench.
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