WE MUST UP OUR GAME
Pochettino bemoans Spurs title race slip
MAURICIO POCHETTINO has called for a dose of reality for his off-colour Tottenham team.
Spurs stopped the rot at Watford but they have picked up just five points from their last six league games.
Their title hopes have gone up in smoke, with boss Pochettino publicly abandoning that dream even before Saturday’s result.
But after watching his players grind out a draw despite playing with 10 men for most of the second half, he said: “When you manage or play for Tottenham, you are going to be criticised and there will be different opinions.
Stronger
“I try to learn after every game and over the last two or three years Spurs have been so competitive.
“Yes, we want to avoid the bad moments or the bad periods. But we are still not at the level of Real Madrid or Barcelona, who keep winning, winning, winning over a long period.
“We need to use these situations to learn, to improve, and hope the experience makes us stronger.
“Sometimes it’s difficult to keep your level. But we are only three points worse off than last season.
“And we have finished first in our Champions League group and the squad is similar to last season. WATFORD (3-5-2): Gomes 6; Mariappa 6, Prodl 6, Kabasele 6 (Capoue 64, 6); Femenia 6, Cleverley 6 (Gray 88), DOUCOURE 8, Pereyra 6 (Carrillo 67, 6), Zeegelaar 6; Richarlison Deeney 7, 6. Subs: Karnezis, Janmaat, Wague, Watson. UP NEXT: Burnley (a), Premier League, Saturday. TOTTENHAM (4-2-3-1): Lloris 6; Trippier 7, Sanchez 5, Vertonghen 6, Davies 6; Dembele 7, DIER 8; Eriksen 7 (Sissoko 64, 6), Alli 6 (Winks 86), Son 6 (Lamela 77); Kane 6. Subs: Vorm, Rose, Llorente, Aurier. UP NEXT: Apoel Nicosia (h), Champions League, Wednesday. Referee: Martin Atkinson 4. YOUR TURN: Who made 136 appearances for Tottenham without scoring a goal before joining Watford in 2014? Manchester City have created a massive gap and the gap is too far to win the Premier League, but we are going to improve for sure.”
Spurs have gone from Manchester City’s most likely challengers to a side scraping just to stay in the top six in the space of 39 days.
At least they did not buckle and feel sorry for themselves after Davinson Sanchez’s 52nd-minute red card for his forearm smash on Richarlison.
At that point, Spurs were on top after Heung-min Son had soon cancelled out Christian Kabasele’s 13th-minute headed opener.
It stopped Spurs in their tracks but Jan Vertonghen hailed his team-mates for digging deep to withstand an onslaught.
The Belgian defender said: “I think we have to look at it in a positive way. We didn’t concede a clear chance after we went down to 10 and we fought for each other.
“We showed we are willing to fight for one another, which is a very good sign. We’re strong enough mentally as a team to cope.”
Watford had leaked 13 goals in home games against Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City this season.
Hornets defender Adrian Mariappa said that had focused their minds.
“We have been punished and were against Manchester United in our previous game,” he said.
“It was something in our minds. We are disappointed with the goal we conceded. They are a good side, even with 10 men, and posed a threat.”