Pochettino: We have gone back five years

Mauricio Pochettino has said there are similarities between his Tottenham Hotspur team and the one he feared almost got him sacked five years ago.

Tottenham go into today’s game against Sheffield United 11th in the Premier League and already 10 points adrift of the top four.

And he has likened the situation to the one he faced in 2014, when Spurs went to Aston Villa on Nov 2 in 14th position. Pochettino has previously claimed that Harry Kane’s late winner at Villa Park might have saved his job and Spurs recovered to finish fifth.

He has not given up on a top-four position this term, but has admitted that the team have gone backwards.

“It [the top four] is still possible,” said Pochettino. “We need time to get everything right because we went back to five years ago where we were in terms of position, situations and stuff like that, so it takes time. It’s different than five years ago, but with a lot of similarities. But we cannot move the club forward quick, to accelerate things, we can’t.

“We need to stay calm and work hard because there is not another way to change this dynamic.”

Pochettino would not expand on the similarities between 2014 and now, insisting that he did not want to talk about “negative things” in such a crucial period. But there are comparable issues between the two squads, as the starting team at Villa included Emmanuel Adebayor, Roberto Soldado, Younes Kaboul and Etienne Capoue, four players Pochettino was keen to move on.

This season, the Argentine has been forced to play the likes of Christian Eriksen, Toby Alderweireld and Danny Rose, all of whom Tottenham were open to selling in the summer.

“I don’t want to be talking about negative things, I want to be positive,” said Pochettino. “I promise you, if all goes well, I will explain it one day.

“I want to be positive now because the signals in the last few weeks have been good and, of course, I know to create a positive spirit and provide the good mood, it’s so important.

“In the Champions League we are in a very good position, but in the table of the Premier League we need to improve a lot.”

Pochettino’s assistant, Jesus Perez, confirmed that the return of injured goalkeeper Hugo Lloris had been delayed by the surgery on his dislocated elbow. “It may take a little longer,” said Perez. “We expect he will train again in January, but it depends.”