Pochettino doesn’t know who to blame over fixtures
● Spurs boss unhappy Dortmund have had better prep for quarter-final clash
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has called on the Football Association and Premier League to help English clubs be stronger in the Champions League.
Pochettino is furious that his side have had less time to prepare for both legs of their Champions League last-16 tie than their opponents Borussia Dortmund.
Spurs played Leicester on the Sunday before the Wednesday of their first leg, with Dortmund playing 24 hours earlier. And ahead of tonight’s second leg in Germany the Bundesliga leaders were in action on Friday while Pochettino’s men took on Arsenal in the north London derby on Saturday lunchtime.
That reduced preparation time for the first leg did not hamper Spurs too much, though, as they won 3-0 at Wembley, putting them in pole position for only a second quarter-final appearance in the Champions League.
Pochettino believes English sides should be better looked after with regards to domestic fixtures in the buildup to big European evenings and pointed to Ligue 1 side Rennes, whose weekend game was called off in order to give them more time to prepare for a Europa League clash with Arsenal.
“I think we need help from the FA, we need help from the Premier League, I don’t know because I am not involved in the decisions,” the Argentine said. “I don’t know whether to blame the FA or to blame the Premier League or to blame Tottenham because we changed the day because we’ve still not delivered our new stadium or the TV because they wanted us to play live on Saturday.
“Look what happened with Rennes in the Europa League. They cancelled their game at the weekend to help Rennes to play against Arsenal.
“In Europe, the FAS are more sensitive to help the club to compete in the best way in Europe.
“I would like to play in the same situation as your opponent. That is the most important, you have the same days to prepare for the game.
“I think that is not fair and it is a problem that in the future it is a thing we need to change if we want to help the English clubs be stronger in the competition.”
Pochettino lists scheduling problems as one of a number of issues hampering his side this season, including ongoing delays to their stadium,
0 Mauricio Pochettino has called his players ‘heroes’ and ‘warriors’ ahead of the match in Germany.
a crippling injury list and no signings for more than a year.
For Spurs to be on the cusp of a Champions League quarter-final and, until recently, in the Premier League title race, means their players are heroes, says Pochettino.
“Because we have warriors and players who are heroes in the way they fight, only we are here because of that,” he said.
“Our mentality is a Champions League mentality. It’s a World Cup winners’ mentality.”
Pochettino will not allow the first leg, when his side blew Dortmund away in the second half, to come into the thinking ahead of the return match.
Spurs have a 3-0 first-leg lead in a European tie for the first time since 2013 when they ended up needing an extra-time goal by Emmanuel Adebayor to scrape through the second leg against Inter Milan.
The Argentine is demanding that his side go on the front foot against Lucien Favre’s side. “We need to play like always we play, trying to win, that is important,” he said. “We need to forget the first leg, it’s important to be aggressive.”
By DAMIAN SPELLMAN
Ashley Young has warned people not to write off Manchester United as they attempt to rekindle their Champions League hopes.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men head to Paris St Germain for the second leg of their last-16 tie tomorrow evening trailing 2-0 after a humbling experience at Old Trafford last month in the only defeat they have suffered to date under their interim manager.
PSG will run out as hot favourites to progress to the quarter-finals, but 33-yearold Young has advised them to take nothing for granted after seeing his team-mates revive their season since the Norwegian’s arrival.
He said: “We know what we’re capable of. People can write us off. People were writing us off at the start of the season and people are writing us off now. It’s no different.
“Obviously it’s going to be tough. We’ve got to go over there, win the game and score goals. I’ve got every faith if we defend well and if we create the chances that I know we can do, we can win the game.”
Asked what United need to do better to turn the tie around, Young added: “Win the game. That’s exactly what it is. We’ve got to go out there and win the game. We can’t worry too much about them, it’s all about us. That’s the club’s way, the United way. Never say die.”
Paul Pogba’s red card in the first game means he is unavailable for the return, a major loss given his resurgence in recent months, while Nemanja Matic, Ander Herrera, Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard appear on a casualty list which also includes Phil Jones, Matteo Darmian, Phil Jones, Antonio Valencia, Anthony Martial and Alexis Sanchez.