Alan Pardew:

"It was an unfortunate night for our fans because they were brilliant tonight. They gave us everything and we did commitment wise but Tottenham were better and their technical ability in tight areas was probably the difference.

"Our back four was not quite as solid as it has looked, but if there was ever that cliche that 'goals win games' then this is it. 

"I said to the players afterwards that at one point I was just absorbing what the fans were doing. They were with us all game. I purposely went at the end to thank them. 

"Their support was magnificent. They all travelled to Arsenal, and saw us well beaten and they’ve travelled again and seen us well beaten. We really need to do our best to put a couple of difficult results behind us this season, and in the last three games against Sunderland. That was my sole message to prepare ourselves for Sunday. 

"We have to make sure our fans go home with a performance that gives them a win. This fixture isn’t about our performance level, which was OK (here). That isn’t going to be enough, we need to win.

"I thought the game was pretty even, and Jak makes the mistake on the cross. You can get away with that sometimes, but it goes in and that summed up our night really. We had some big chances we didn’t take.

"I said at half-time it would explode into a cup tie if we scored. We had an opportunity when Remy (Cabella) perhaps should have scored. There were three or four key moments in the game that didn’t fall for us. It happens at this level. Having said that, in tight technical areas Tottenham were better than us.”

On Alnwick:

"I think all of us in squad were so desperate at half-time to try to resurrect it for him. He was so unlucky on the second goal – it catches Colo’s heel. It’s a cruel game. Jak’s in the firing line. There’s a lot of pressure on him.

"He has an injury to his shoulder so we're going to have to see. It is something we might have to look at tomorrow because there is no way that a 17-year-old (Freddie Woodman) - that's our fourth-choice - should be allowed to go in goal at this level.

"We will perhaps talk to the Premier League tomorrow about Jak's situation." 

Pochettino said:

"It was fantastic. It was a fantastic night, a very good performance from the team.

"I am very happy because I think tonight was the first time that there was the relation between the team and supporters. It was brilliant at White Hart Lane and I enjoyed it a lot tonight."

Asked if this was the best Spurs display since he took charge:

"I don't know but maybe. Maybe. I think some games we played very well but this result was important for us. It has home, it is in front of our supporters and we go to the semi-finals of the Capital One Cup.

"We know Tottenham have a lot of tradition in the cups and I think this victory is very important for us. We needed this victory and this performance for our supporters - I’m happy. I’m pleased for our players and for our supporters too. They deserved this performance.

"I think that we need to have full respect for Sheffield United. It is a team from League One but they deserved to stay on to the semi-final. We watched the game and they fully-deserved to stay in the semi-final."

 

A second miserable trip to North London inside a week saw Newcastle crash out of the Capital One Cup with a four-goal drubbing at White Hart Lane on Wednesday. Heavy losses at both Arsenal and Spurs have put the pressure right back on Alan Pardew as he bids to end a losing run in Tyne-wear derby game on Sunday - and further problems could yet beset the Magpies boss.  

An awful night for Jak Alnwick saw United's third-choice goalkeeper gift Spurs the opening goal and hardly cover himself in glory for the three that followed, but injury rather than selection choice could see him drop out.

With Tim Krul and Rob Elliot already out until January, a shoulder injury suffered by Alnwick leaves only the 17 year-old rookie Freddie Woodman, a situation that will surely prompt a rethink from the Premier League regarding a request for an emergency loan signing. 

Cheick Tiote, Papiss Cisse, Sammy Ameobi and Daryl Janmaat all dropped out - the last due to suspension - while Moussa Sissoko, Emmanuel Riviere, Remy Cabella and Massadio Haidara all gained starting places. Neither Steven Taylor or Mehdi Abeid was involved at all. 

Spurs made most of the early running, Andros Townsend going close before Sissoko tested home custodian Michel Vorm with a long range effort.

United seemed to have settled though, until an 18th corner from Christian Eriksen was fumbled by Alnwick, Nabil Bentaleb on hand to hook the ball in - nowhere near as bad as predecessor Tony Bell here almost 40 years ago to the day, but a still massive and costly rick. 

United rallied after that setback but Kane went close with an effort that was narrowly wide after Yoan Gouffran had given the ball away. Penalty appeals against Fabricio Coloccini were waved away, while Gouffran fired over just before the interval from a rare shooting opportunity.  

As was the case when the sides met here in the Premier League back in October, the second period began with an almost instant goal.

Sadly for United it wasn't Spurs caught napping this time, Nacer Chadli firing a low effort beyond Alnwick from the edge of the box just 36 seconds after the restart. And when Cabella missed from two yards out after Ayoze Perez had broken down the right and played him in on 54 minutes, it was clearly not going to be our night.

Coloccini cleared over his own bar and Haidara stopped a Jan Vertonghen header on the line just before the hour mark, but Spurs made the tie completely safe on 65 minutes when Harry Kane continued his scoring run.

And the rout was then complete when substitute Roberto Soldado netted, taking advantage of Alnwick's parry barely five minutes later to deepen the gloom (not that you would have known if from the wall of vocal support that the Tyneside contingent were supplying).

At the other end Adam Armstrong shot weakly at the 'keeper and then put another effort narrowly wide, as Newcastle once again failed to find the net at this stage of the competition - in eight Quarter Final ties, we've now scored just once....and even that was an own goal.

For much of the first half here, there was plenty of the bite and commitment that will be required in that game, but desperately little in the way of structured play. 

And while the misadventures of Alnwick will hog the headlines, Even without the unexpected helping hand, Spurs would probably have prevailed without playing particularly well. 

Gouffran, Williamson and Riviere won't recall tonight with any fondness and inevitably there was no sign of Facundo Ferreyra on the teamsheet for the twentieth competitive game we've played this season, forgotten man Haris Vuckic appearing off the bench in the closing stages.

Ferreyra (aka ''The Invisible Mag') is still to kick a ball in anger for the club he joined on loan in August - is it too much to ask for some truth from the club about what's really going on - rather than patronising comments from the manager recently about "our tapas section"? 

Without a chance to take stock though our frantic week now moves on to St. James' Park on Sunday, and an instant opportunity to right a few wrongs.

The return of Janmaat from suspension will mean that Dummett can relinquish the right back slot, while it's to be hoped that Taylor can be brought in to partner Colo. Tiote meanwhile sits one booking away from an enforced one game absence, which may have seen him stood down here.

Sissoko is expected to be OK meanwhile despite a taking heavy challenge in the second half and later substitution, but scoring remains a concern, as it does for the mackems. On that basis it's to be hoped that Cisse was rested for tonight in order to be 100% for Sunday.

Biffa