Pochettino’s menu for success? Forking out for 50 at bonding meal
Probable team (3-4-2-1)
important to go step-by-step, building fitness, understanding how we want to play and the relationship in the team.”
Fernando Llorente, meanwhile, says he needs more time to get fit after missing pre-season at Swansea with a broken arm before his deadline-day transfer, and Pochettino has urged patience with Juan Foyth, the 19-yearold centre-back who made his Spurs debut against Barnsley on Tuesday.
Davinson Sanchez, at least, has impressed in the last three big games after joining Spurs in a club-record deal from Ajax but Pochettino knows it may be some time before supporters see the best of the new boys.
“Now, we only need time,” he said. “It’s only a few weeks that they are involved in the dynamic of the team, the club.
“There are different examples in the world — like Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid. He came from Juventus [in 2001] and only after six months he started to perform in the way that he can play and he was really criticised. We need time for the players that we signed to engage with everyone, know everything. But I think we’re strong. I’m so happy with my squad.”
More meals paid for by Pochettino would accelerate the process but the football is coming thick and fast for Tottenham, who also face a 10-hour round-trip to Cyprus for Tuesday’s Champions League match against APOEL and a match at Huddersfield before the international break.
“We always try to find the way to stay together out of the training ground,” Pochettino said. “But it is so difficult here in England because it’s such a busy schedule that we have.
“We play every two to three days and then all are away for international break. Yesterday was a very good day to laugh and share in a different atmosphere.
“You need time to create a good dynamic. It’s so important and we need time to engage everything, to have different alternatives to play and try to win. In the end, that’s the principle objective.”
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