THE MOUSA THAT ROARED
Poch compared Dembele to Maradona & Ronaldinho ...now he wants to live up to his boss’s compliments
HE was showered with praise from Mauricio Pochettino even before he ran the game against Juventus a fortnight ago.
Mousa Dembele has since been compared by his boss to the alltime greats such as Diego Maradona and Ronaldinho
The 30-year-old – hailed by Poch as a “genius of football” – has since helped Spurs claim wins over Crystal Palace, Rochdale and Huddersfield. They are now closing in on another top-four place and are into the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Dembele, however, wants to repay Pochettino by helping Spurs into the last eight of the Champions League.
To do so – the club came back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 in the away leg – would silence the doubters who dismissed Tottenham’s chances at the start of the season.
It would also help to serve as a huge endorsement for Pochettino’s famed man-management skills. “It’s a personal goal for myself and for the team, said Dembele (below, with his boss). “In the past we spoke a lot as well, so it’s not something new.
“He speaks a lot with me, and gives me confidence and it’s a good thing, but you always want to win something so it doesn’t change my role. Everybody likes to be appreciated but there’s still so much to play for.”
After seeing his side written off in the group stages where they were up against Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid, Dembele believes they have as good a chance of any of going all the way.
The Belgian added: “The way we’ve played over a few years, we’ve shown everyone we can play very well against top teams – and it doesn’t surprise me.
“The Champions League is a different type of tournament – anything can happen but we have a lot of confidence. Against Juve, against Madrid, we were not scared of them. The thing is now we have to keep focused. The next game is Juve and we can do something.” Dembele’s new team-mate Lucas Moura, however, has warned against underestimating the Italian champions despite Tottenham’s away goals in the first leg. The £22million former Paris Saint-Germain winger said: “The 2-2 from the first leg was a good sign for us, but it would be a mistake to manage that result at Wembley. “They have the experience and nerves to qualify, even on a trip like this. They are a very balanced team, who know how to defend well and make the most of the chances they create. “That evening must be a warning for us: that Juventus are able to score two goals in a few minutes. “They are the symbol of Italian football, who have won two European Cups.”