POCH: WE NEED A HELPING HAND HERE

Spurs boss calls on the Premier League to ease fixture demands

Mauricio Pochettino has issued a cry for help from the Premier League, who he believes are failing to support English clubs as they head to the sharp end of the champions League.

Tottenham have the comfort of a 3-0 lead against Borussia Dortmund tonight and can reach the last eight of Europe’s most prestigious club competition for only the second time in their history.

Pochettino, however, was in no mood to relax as he arrived in Germany, urging against complacency and slamming a fixture schedule which left him with a 24-hour disadvantage in terms of preparation time for both legs against the Bundesliga leaders.

‘There’s no time,’ fumed the Spurs boss. ‘Dortmund in the first leg had more time to prepare for the game and now the same because they played Friday.

‘We played on Saturday and the only way we can prepare is with talking because the players need to rest.

‘ We played a derby against arsenal and you know what it means to play a derby, not only in the physical condition but the mental energy you spend, too.

‘it is impossible that one team had 24 hours more than the other to prepare.

‘it is massive. i don’t understand how you can arrive in this situation when both clubs are going to compete for such an important competition like the champions League.’

Borussia Dortmund lost on Friday night at augsburg and Spurs played on Saturday lunchtime against arsenal.

ahead of the first leg — a Wednesday tie — the Germans played on the Saturday and Pochettino’s team faced Leicester at Wembley on the Sunday.

‘We need help from the Fa and the Premier League,’ added the Tottenham boss. ‘in Europe the Fas are more sensitive to helping the clubs compete in the best way in the competitions.

‘Maybe we need to blame ourselves because we have struggled to deal with this type of thing.

‘of course, we are going to fight and give our best but it is not fair to our players to compete with a massive disadvantage.

‘it is a problem that in the future we need to change if we want to help the English clubs be stronger in this competition.’

Pochettino claimed he was stunned to find an absence of public support for his argument, although it has been heard many times over the years from Jose Mourinho and arsene Wenger, as they tried to juggle the demands of the champions League and the Premier League.

‘i don’t say it is only us, i was just describing the situation,’ said Pochettino when asked if Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy might lobby Premier League rivals in search of help for those flying the flag in Europe.

‘We need to be more sensitive to the clubs who play in Europe. i am not going to blame someone, maybe we need to blame ourselves because we struggled to deal with this type of thing.’

Kieran Trippier has not made the trip to Germany so that he can rest and Pochettino is still without Dele alli, who is out with a hamstring injury.

Midfielders Harry Winks and Eric Dier are back in the matchday squad.

There was good news yesterday for centre half Davinson Sanchez, who received confirmation he will face no Fa disciplinary charge for stamping on Laurent Koscielny during Saturday’s north London derby at Wembley because the incident was seen by match officials at the time.

Spurs have not won in three games since two late goals at Wembley gave them such a commanding lead over Borussia Dortmund at the halfway stage of this tie.

Dortmund’s form has also been erratic, with only one win in their last seven games. But they do have a reputation for scoring heavily at the Westfalenstadion.

They put four past atletico Madrid in the group stage and four past Benfica two years ago when they reversed a first-leg deficit to reach the last eight.

Dortmund striker Marco reus declared: ‘it is important to believe in ourselves and give a great performance.’

Still, the initiative is firmly with Tottenham to extend their European campaign in a year when the new stadium at White Hart Lane has suffered delays and after making no signings in the last two transfer windows.

‘This season, no one believed in us,’ said Pochettino.

‘of course that situation affects the team but we are here because we have warriors and players who are heroes in the way they fight. our mentality is a champions League mentality. it’s a World cup winners’ mentality.

‘There are other areas where we have room to improve but not in this area.’