POCH IN PITCH BATTLE
Players at risk says Spurs boss
TOTTENHAM boss Mauricio Pochettino admits he fears for the safety of his star players and has urged the FA to intervene over Rochdale’s pitch ahead of their FA Cup clash.
Pochettino has voiced his concerns over the sand-covered surface for the fifth-round tie at Spotland on February 18. Millwall manager Neil Harris, who saw his side knocked out this week, branded the pitch as the worst he had ever seen.
Pochettino said: “The FA need to assess how the pitch is, then to take a decision about if it’s good for the FA Cup, good for the players and good for ARSENE WENGER has stoked the fires ahead of tomorrow’s north London derby by claiming English players are now the “masters of diving”.
The Arsenal manager’s comments come days after Tottenham’s England stars Harry Kane and Dele Alli were caught up in a cheat storm in their 2-2 draw at Liverpool. The Reds accused Kane of going to ground too easily for a penalty, while Alli was booked for diving. Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino later sparked controversy by claiming that “tricking the opponent” was now part of the game.
But Wenger, above, said: “We have to get diving out of the game.
“I remember tremendous cases when foreign players did it – but I must say English players have learned very quickly and they might even be the masters now.”