Tottenham Hotspur have been tagged as favourites to go all the way in the ongoing Europa League campaign, and this comes as a blend of the progress that the Lilywhites have made under Ange Postecoglou and the squad that they boast in the second tier of the UEFA. However, when the North Londoners announced the squad to participate in the league stage of this season’s UEL campaign, the chiefs at Hotspur Way left out Djed Spence out of the squad despite his impressive performances in the pre-season.
The Greek-born head coach in charge of Spurs has used the Legaue phase of the Europa League as a means to give minutes to the secondary players in his squad, which makes it more amusing to consider he left out Spence. The former Middlesbrough man is trying to rejuvenate his career at the club, and the last thing he needs is a lack of consistent minutes under his belt to prove his abilities and get some confidence.
Lilywhites could regret leaving Spence Out of European competition squad
It’s a decision that not many supporters understand, and John Wenham, owner of the reputable Spurs podcast Lilywhite Rose, expresses his disbelief at Tottenham leaving Spence out of the Europa League squad. He acknowledges that the decision gets more strange considering the recent contract that the player penned at White Hart Lane.
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And speaking in an exclusive interview with Tottenham News, Wenham said:
“It is unfortunate that Spence isn’t registered in the Europa League squad. That was such a missed opportunity, especially with Guglielmo Vicario having played both matches in goal, having Fraser Forster in that squad seems like a mistake.
“Spence could have been playing all the minutes in the Europa League. With him having signed his new contract with the club, Postecoglou’s decision to leave him out seems increasingly strange.
“If he was featuring in the Europa League, that would’ve justified his new contract renewal.”
Spence could have been a perfect player to play in the Europa League in his preferred right-back role while giving Pedro Porro some valuable rest, but it looks like the club didn’t believe in his abilities when they picked the squad.
Do you think Ange made the wrong decision to leave Spence out of the Tottenham squad? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.