League Cup: Even Salah would struggle for goals at Spurs, says Postecoglou

League Cup: Even Salah would struggle for goals at Spurs, says Postecoglou

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou said his team is struggling to such an extent that even in-form Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah would fail to make much of an impression as part of the side.

Tottenham, which faces the Premier League leader in the first leg of their League Cup semifinal later on Wednesday, has dropped to 12th in the league and lost three of its last four games.

While Salah has scored 21 goals and provided 17 assists in all competitions, Postecoglou said the 32-year-old Egyptian would have his work cut out delivering similar figures for the London side this season.

“Mo is a world-class player but if you put him in our team now I’m not sure he’ll have that same level of performance because of the situation we’re in as a group,” he told reporters.

“You need a team that’s in good form, creating opportunities, playing on the front foot, having a really solid foundation of a defence that is ­cohesive. None of these things exist at the moment (at Spurs).

“We’re ­relying on individual moments.”

On the flip side, Postecoglou said Spurs captain Son Heung-min, who has scored just seven goals in all competitions this season, would thrive in the current Liverpool side.

“I’d hazard to say that if you put Sonny in Liverpool’s team, I reckon his goalscoring return would be decent,” Postecoglou said. “But when we’re at our best, I still think you’ll see Sonny’s return.”

Spurs activated a one-year extension in the 32-year-old South Korean forward’s contract on Tuesday.