Spurs sweat on Pochettino

– Dele Alli’s reaction to signing a new six-year deal with Tottenham this week underlined why Mauricio Pochettino (above) is so valuable to the north London club amid claims the Argentine coach is growing restless.

The England midfielder became the latest member of Pochettino’s squad to sign a longterm deal this week and made it clear the Argentine was a major factor in his decision to put pen to paper.

“He is a massive part of wanting to be at this club,” said Alli after Wednesday’s win at West Ham in the League Cup.

“The fans are amazing, the chairman, everyone – the whole club’s amazing.”

Victory at Wolves today would extend Spurs’ best start to a Premier League campaign since Pochettino took charge ahead of the 2014/15 season.

That, though, tells only part of the story.

Performances have too often fallen short of standards set in recent seasons, throwing focus on the failure to make any signings during the last transfer window.

The after-effects of a gruelling World Cup campaign have taken a toll on a number of Pochettino’s squad, while Tottenham’s Champions League campaign already hangs in the balance.

Add to that the continuing delays to Tottenham’s move back into a rebuilt White Hart Lane, and there is a growing sense the club is treading water right now.

Pochettino acknowledged his side has made some progress, but insisted off-field distractions had diverted their focus away from winning trophies.

It doesn’t help, then, that Real Madrid are now looking for a new coach. –

Wolverhampton