POCH: ONLY THE PREM & CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TROPHIES COUNT FOR ME

Tottenham boss hits back at his lack-of-trophy critics and insists the FA Cup and League Cup are not huge priorities ...he has set his sights on the BIG ONES

MAURICIO POCHETTINO labelled the Premier League and Champions League “real trophies”.

The Tottenham boss has done an outstanding job in his three-and-a-half years to transform the club into North London’s top dogs, title challengers and contenders for the Champions League. But his impressive young Spurs team have yet to win any silverware. For all the criticism of Arsene Wenger and his Arsenal players, they have at least brought home three FA Cups in the last four seasons. Winning trophies is what many consider to be the next step for Spurs, but Pochettino said: “For us, it is an important game, a derby, and more than three points, but it is important to keep doing well in a long process.

“Important to improve every game and every season and say we can win not only cups, but Premier League and Champions League, that is a pressure we are building.

“The pressure to win only cups is not useful for us.

“If we can win FA Cup, Carabao Cup – fantastic, but principal option is to win Premier League and put Tottenham in a position to win the Champions League.

“Premier League and Champions League is a massive challenge for big clubs, this type of trophy are the real trophies.”

Asked earlier if he would swap Spurs’ progress for Arsenal’s trophies, Pochettino said: “No, because Tottenham is Tottenham and Arsenal are in another stage of their project. I don’t care where they are, after three-and-ahalf years we achieved a lot – I would like to achieve more, to be first and not second and win cups, but we are in different process.

“I admire what Arsene Wenger did at Arsenal, but we are at a different stage in the project.”

Club legends Glenn Hoddle, Steve Perryman and Graham Roberts may not share Pochettino’s view. The trio, double FA Cup winners with Spurs in 1981 and 1982, visited Spurs this week to provide added inspiration ahead of today’s derby.

The Argentinian (right) added: “I try to show respect for our legends and share ideas for the club. It is a good idea for the club to meet them, like Ossie Ardilles, Ricky Villa, Micky Hazard.

It is important to show respect to legends who built history at this great club, I believe they can help myself and club, they are part of the history of the club and the present too.

“We want to build something special, but keep our identity – who better than them to translate how Tottenham was, is and can be?”