ZOLA: IT ISN’T A BRIDGE TOO FAR
DARTS addict Mauricio Pochettino has insisted Tottenham are still on target to win the Premier League. The artful Argentinian hopes to celebrate a win over Burnley tomorrow by watching the PDC World Championship at London’s Ally Pally. And despite Chelsea taking flight at the top of the table, Pochettino insisted his Spurs can still Power their way upwards because they have a better launch pad than they had last season. “We have four more points after 16 games than last season and we are in the same position – fifth,” he said. “Maybe we feel disappointed after going out of the Champions League and maybe the expectations from the beginning were too high, but after 16 games the gap to second place in the table is four points and to Chelsea at the top it is 10 points. “Last season it was nine points or eight points with Leicester at the top and seven points with second. We have improved a little on last season but it may not seem that way because of the Champions League exit. “We are working well and doing very good things – sometimes there is too much focus on negative things.” While Arsenal have 10 players out of contract in 18 months, Pochettino (above) insisted none of his star names will be sold as the club has secured eight first-team players on long-term deals this season after he signed a new agreement in May.
“We are very calm because all the players have long contracts,” he said.
“They all extended their contracts four or five months ago.
“They are players who are in our plans today, tomorrow and for the future. “It is impossible to sell them.” And he insisted Eric Dier, who penned a new five-year deal in September, has a big role to play even if he is too young to settle on playing just one position.
The Tottenham boss shot down a report this week that Dier is a target of Chelsea and Bayern Munich after being shifted out of his favoured midfield role into the defence.
“I have never heard from him that he is unhappy, no matter what position he has played in,” he said. “We’ll see in the future which position allows him to play his best football.”
Pochettino, who revealed his favourite darts player is Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor, had never watched the sport until he came to England.
“Sunday night, after the game I will watch the darts,” he said.
“I never saw it in Argentina. When we arrived at Southampton my two boys were desperate to see the darts. It was very good. The darts itself is not exciting but the atmosphere is, and watching it is very funny. And when you understand it, it’s very good.
“I have never attended – it would be difficult and I would have to put on a costume. Maybe a gaucho! “
Watch Tottenham players in action on the oche at the training ground at www.mirror.co.uk/sport CHELSEA legend Gianfranco Zola is ready to raid his former club in January in a bid to boost new side Birmingham’s promotion push.
Zola takes charge of his new Blues team for the first time today when they host high-flying Brighton in the Championship.
And the Italian is already plotting January business and refusing to rule out targeting Chelsea youngsters.
The Premier League leaders have more than 30 players out on loan and Zola admitted: “If we believe that in Chelsea there might be players that can help, then we will ask. We have a good relationship with them.
“I have an idea about some of the players who might be available, but first you need to see what you need.
“It’s pointless buying a main striker when you have maybe Lukas Jutkiewicz or Clayton Donaldson doing well – you have to go for positions where you think you can improve. We will start by addressing and evaluating what we’ve got and then we’ll go with the positions we need to improve.”
Birmingham’s Chinese owners are expected to back Zola next month after sacking former boss Gary Rowett (above) on Wednesday with Blues near the playoffs.
That decision angered many fans who raised eyebrows at the decision to appoint Zola less than six hours later.
But he added: “It’s worth giving faith to people who are coming here to work with a good intention. I’m here because I want to prove I can do a good job.”