Mauricio wants a fairy-tale ending for Spurs
TOTTENHAM manager Mauricio Pochettino claims his side’s title challenge will be easier than three seasons ago.
Pochettino was incensed in the 2015/16 campaign when the whole nation got behind Leicester’s fairy tale, with even opposing players admitting they wanted Claudio Ranieri’s Foxes to win it ahead of Tottenham.
Spurs ended up finishing third in a two-horse race, after they were pipped to the runner-up spot by Arsenal
They have struggled to mount a sustained challenge since.
But now Pochettino has seen his team move into second place behind Liverpool and they can apply even more pressure as they face Wolves and Cardiff in the space of four days.
It could see them get within three points of Liverpool before they kick off against Arsenal this evening and potentially even draw level by the time Jurgen Klopp’s men face Manchester City on Thursday.
The title race is shaping up nicely for Spurs but Pochettino is clearly still unhappy about the way their last title tilt ended, with Chelsea dealing the final blow to their challenge by holding them to a draw at Stamford Bridge.
The Argentinian said: “In March, I think, Leicester and Tottenham were the only two title contenders.
“And of course the sympathy for Leicester was bigger than for Tottenham. That was the reality.
“They won and they deserved to be Premier League champions.
“But the sympathy of neutral people was more for Leicester than for us. This is normal.
“When you make public some emotions or opinions when you are professionals, yes (it did annoy me).
“Because if you are going to play after against this team you cannot say, ‘I prefer Leicester to win the league’.
“You have to play against Tottenham and Leicester and you are a professional. I accept it may be your feeling that you prefer Leicester to Tottenham but to make it public is different.
“That is what annoyed me and my players and our fans, for sure. But in the end, it’s normal.
“You have your opinion and think maybe it will be Leicester, with less budget and everything, it would be nice for them to win.
“And it will be a massive story, it says all is possible in the Premier League. It was an amazing story.
“But when you are involved and you give your opinion and after you have to play against Tottenham and Leicester, I think it’s not right.
“When you are professional, you are professional and have some opinions you cannot make public.
“Because after you create a big problem like what happened at Chelsea, remember?
“That was more like a battle than a football game.
“Why did that happen? You know very well.
“That’s why it is compulsory to behave professionally.” NUNO ESPIRITO SANTO says Morgan Gibbs-White can look to Dele Alli for inspiration but wants the starlet to be his own man.
England ace Alli, who has 33 caps, is having another fine season with six goals already.
Wolves have their own young English attacking midfielder in homegrown Gibbs-White (above), who won the World Cup with the Under-17s in 2017.
The 18-year-old has since helped promoted Wolves thrive in the Premier League with 13 appearances, including three starts.
He came off the bench to help Wolves stun Chelsea earlier this month and is in line to play at Wembley against Spurs today.
Wolves boss Santo said: “Dele Alli plays for England at a high level. Morgan has to grow and become better to achieve that.
“Dele Alli can be a role model, could be – but they are totally different players.
“The worst we can do to a player is for him to identify a particular player and try to imitate that.
“It is not the correct approach and I will not allow it. What we expect from Morgan is different things and his own talent.
“Morgan has things he has to improve but he has one thing that we don’t find many times – talent.”
Wolves boast the best defensive record outside the top four but know it will be tested today at second-placed Spurs, who have scored 11 goals in two games.
Santo added: “It’s going to be a big test and a big challenge – it’s going to be tough.
‘‘It’s not only about the defensive line, it’s about the team – the mobility they have and the quality.
“We must know that defending is everybody. It’s the moment you recover the ball, where you want to recover the ball, how you organise that moment to recover the ball.’’