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Tottenham’s Carabao Cup semi-final collapse against Liverpool left pundits and their own manager stunned, with Jamie Carragher even suggesting lower-league Accrington Stanley put up a bigger fight against the Reds this season.

Spurs, who entered Anfield with a 1-0 first-leg advantage, were swept aside in a 4-0 defeat, sealing a 4-1 aggregate loss. Carragher was left baffled by the lack of intensity and aggression from the visitors.

“Maybe forget the ball for the first half-hour—just be aggressive! Even if you’re camped in your own half, make it difficult. But it was so easy for Liverpool to get to the edge of the box. Tottenham’s midfield didn’t even put in a challenge. It was shocking,” Carragher fumed on Sky Sports.

He then compared Spurs’ effort to a third-tier side:
“Liverpool played Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup a few weeks ago, and even they put up more of a fight than Tottenham. That’s not right.

Even Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou couldn’t defend his team’s performance. Speaking after the match, he admitted his side was second-best in every department.

“Liverpool fully deserved the victory tonight. They were the better team. We just weren’t able to get a grip on the game, either defensively or with the ball,” he told Sky Sports.
“We weren’t aggressive enough. We didn’t start on the right foot, and once Liverpool got comfortable, we couldn’t wrestle back control.”

His frustration was evident when he substituted midfielders Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma before the hour mark, a clear statement about their underwhelming performances.

Former Liverpool and Spurs midfielder Jamie Redknapp was equally critical.
“I cannot understand how Spurs didn’t have a single shot on target in a semi-final. I get that it’s tough to defend a lead at Anfield, but their approach was all wrong,” Redknapp said.
“The goalkeeper looked nervous, the midfield showed no courage to take control, and it wasn’t just the young players—the experienced ones failed to step up too.”

With Spurs’ 17-year trophy drought continuing in such humiliating fashion, serious questions are now being asked about Postecoglou’s leadership and the team’s mentality in big moments.