POCHETTINO ON DEFENSIVE

Tottenham manager says Spurs ‘are not realistic contenders’

MAURICIO Pochettino has claimed that his Tottenham team are not ‘realistic contenders’ to win any silverware this season.

Spurs played Inter Milan in the Champions League late yesterday on the back of successive defeats to Watford and Liverpool which have knocked confidence following a big win at Manchester United.

Pochettino, who is yet to win a major trophy as Tottenham manager, said that on current form Spurs cannot be regarded as a major contender for any trophy.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Monday, Pochettino said: “We are not realistic contenders in any single competition, that is my view.

“If we show the same face as against Watford, it is impossible to be a contender. If we show the face as against Liverpool, so difficult. In some periods of the game against Manchester United, maybe yes.

“I explained after Old Trafford, it was so difficult to keep the feet on the grass. We needed to work harder, be more competitive and improve.

“The last two defeats are so good if the effect is to wake up and improve.”

Recent poor form for Spurs has added further shade to what has been an uneven start to the season, exacerbated by the club being unable to move into their new stadium due to safety concerns and construction delays.

Season tickets at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium which the club hope will open later this year, cost up to £2,200 (RM12,000) for the most expensive seats — and £795 for the cheapest adult options — meaning Pochettino’s comments about being unable to compete for silverware will raise tensions with fans who have splashed out.

Pochettino’s press conference on Monday night was a tense affair all around, as the Spurs boss evoked the spirit of Eric Cantona with a cryptic analogy about cows and trains.

The Spurs boss was asked if last season’s defeat by Juventus would help his men in this European campaign.

Pochettino said: “It is like the cow in the field who sees the train pass at the same time every day. If you ask the cow what time is the train he won’t have the answer. Experience will help of course but not only experience wins you games.”

Pochettino was in a tetchy mood when he revealed that Kieran Trippier and Toby Alderweireld have both been omitted from the game against Inter, saying it was a ‘technical decision’.