Danny Rose was left out of Tottenham Hotspur’s squad for Saturday’s draw with West Bromwich Albion.
Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino made Danny Rose the centre of attention again as he left the left-back out of the squad to face West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.
Spurs were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw by the managerless Baggies at Wembley, which could leave them 13 points behind Manchester City’s title pace by the end of the weekend.
England international Rose told Sky Sports this week that he was “fuming” to have not made the 18 for last weekend’s defeat to Arsenal.
However, the Argentine made a rod for his own back by disgarding Rose for the visit of Albion.
Starting Ben Davies at left-back after Rose, who has recently returned from a 10-month layoff with an ankle injury, played 90 minutes against Borussia Dortmund in midweek is fair enough.
Pochettino has always rotated his full-backs, with Serge Aurier also coming in for Kieran Trippier yesterday.
But not naming Rose in the squad at all was unnecessary stubborness that created a distraction that Tottenham could have done without on another difficult Wembley day against smaller opposition.
If Pochettino did not feel that Rose was fit to start, he could have named him on the bench. The 27-year-old would have been a useful attacking option when Spurs were chasing victory in the last 15 minutes.
There was no reason to include Kyle Walker-Peters, albeit a bright talent, as full-back cover when it would take at least two injuries for the 20-year-old to even be considered as a substitute.
Rose could have been a proactive option for Pochettino, who badly lacks game changers from the bench, but his strange treatment of the defender meant that he was the full-time talk again.
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