No excuses for Spurs after last season’s failure

TOTTENHAM

V BORUSSIA DORTMUND

Mauricio Pochettino admits Tottenham fluffed their first attempt at the Champions League under him last season but insists there will be no excuses second time round.

After failing to progress from a relatively kind group including CSKA Moscow, Leverkusen and Monaco last time, Pochettino reflected his squad had struggled to cope with the physical and mental demands of the Champions League. They are one season wiser now but are also in a much tougher group which, as well as Borussia Dortmund, includes reigning champions Real Madrid.

Cypriot side APOEL complete the line-up and it may be that Tottenham’s best chance of qualification is to beat Dortmund to second place. They cannot afford another slow start like 12 months ago.

“Last season was our first experience of the Champions League – previously we play Europa League, for 98, 99 per cent of the players, and for myself, too,” Pochettino said.

“That experience [of last season] is important. We know very well what the competition demands from you, and I think that is so important.

“It was a very painful experience because we could not be at the level we should have been but today, it’s not an excuse. Tomorrow will be very tough. We need to be ready to compete at a higher level.”

Pochettino, having cemented Spurs among the Premier League’s elite, now has Europe’s super clubs in his sights.

“Three years ago I said we needed to reduce the gap with the big sides and three years after we are fighting to win the Premier League,” Pochettino said.“why not now start again to create the same in the Champions League and try to reduce the gap with these clubs? They are at a completely different level and philosophy but I think this season will be a very good opportunity to challenge them and see our reality.”