‘It’d be almost impossible’: Postecoglou defends the scrapping of FA Cup replays

Spurs taken to extra time by non-league TamworthPostecoglou: ‘We are already struggling to fit it all in’

Ange Postecoglou defended the abolition of FA Cup replays after his Tottenham side defied non-league Tamworth 3-0 in extra time of their third-round tie. Under the previous regulations, Tamworth would have earned a lucrative replay at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when the whistle blew at 90 minutes with the game still goalless.

But from this season, matches are being played to a finish on the day, and a tiring Tamworth were swept aside in the extra period to earn Tottenham a fourth-round tie at Aston Villa. Postecoglou said that scheduling concerns for top clubs justified the change. As well as league and European commitments, Tottenham are currently engaged in a two-legged League Cup semi-final against Liverpool.

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