Alan Shearer blasted ‘flaky’ Tottenham after they were dumped out of the FA Cup by Championship side Middlesbrough on Tuesday night.
Teenager Josh Coburn was the hero as Boro produced another Cup upset by knocking out Spurs with a 1-0 extra-time victory in the fifth round.
Boro dumped Manchester United out on penalties at Old Trafford in the fourth round and followed it up in style to beat Spurs, with 19-year-old Coburn’s 107th-minute strike settling the tie.
Tottenham were dumped out of the FA Cup by Championship side Middlesbrough
Tottenham suffered yet another cup competition exit to lower opposition on Tuesday night
The Championship outfit were the better side throughout, booking their quarter-final spot and ensuring Spurs will end another season without a trophy after an abject display on Teesside by Antonio Conte’s side.
‘This was no fluke,’ Shearer said on the BBC. ‘Spurs were so flaky, typical Tottenham.
‘They were the better team from start to finish. They were first to every tackle, they created chances, and had more energy.
Alan Shearer blasted ‘flaky’ Tottenham after they were dumped out of the FA Cup
Josh Coburn sealed a magnificent win for Middlesbrough at the Riverside on Tuesday night
‘Certainly in extra-time, they made the better substitutions and Chris Wilder can be extremely proud of what his team has achieved tonight.
‘What a night for Middlesbrough and their fans, he (Wilder) was up for it, the players were up for it, it’s a shame the Tottenham players weren’t up for it. Typical Tottenham, Middlesbrough thoroughly deserved to be in the quarter-finals.’
Who knows how Conte will react to this defeat as their inconsistency continues to derail any progress and this result could have implications over his long-term future as well as that of Harry Kane, whose desire to win silverware is consistently not met at Spurs.
The teenage substitute scored in extra-time with a thunderous finish past Hugo Lloris
Only a strong finish in the Premier League and a late surge into the top four can rescue this season, but that looks a stretch on this evidence.
Former Spurs striker Jermain Defoe said: ‘This is massively disappointing from a Tottenham point of view.
‘No disrespect to Middlesbrough, you expect Tottenham to come here and dominate.
‘Middlesbrough played with urgency and got stronger and stronger. Their younger players came on and made an impact.’
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Having already knocked out Man United, Middlesbrough have taken another top flight scalp
Middlesbrough were the better team across the game and racked up plenty of chances