Silverware is only for the ego says Poch.

[Spursex]

Mauricio Pochettino: ‘Trophies are only good for ego – a top-four spot is more important for Spurs’


Mauricio Pochettino launched a robust defence of his Spurs team and the club’s strategy arguing that winning cups is good for the ego but not necessarily the measure of a top side. Pochettino was speaking after the 2-0 FA Cup defeat against Crystal Palace, a result that came just 72 hours after Tottenham’s exit to Chelsea in the Carabao Cup semi-final.

“We are going to create a debate that to win a trophy is going to help the club. I don’t agree with that. It is good for the ego. In reality the most important thing is to build a team that is always going to be in the top four,” he said.

“People wish we could win some trophies. But being realistic, we are doing so well.”

Fighting on two fronts Pochettino makes a fair point if we accept the diminished status of the FA Cup and Carabao Cup compared to success in the Premier League and the Champions League. The two defeats in three days leaves Spurs notionally in the same position as Liverpool, in effect fighting on two not four fronts, but the two that really matter.

Pochettino stays positive as another trophy bites the dust for Tottenham, ending a dismal week with FA Cup defeat Pochettino is ultimately seeking to set results in context and to point out that Spurs are a club that is striving to mix with the elite. The important thing for him and Tottenham, he said, is to be contending consistently for the league and in Europe.

“We are trying to build a club that will arrive at the last level. The important thing for Tottenham is always being top four and in the Champions League. Doing that is going to help the club to get to the last level. "

“We are a club that has done fantastic in the last four or five years. We are doing everything we can to be at the level of Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal.” No regrets Pochettino said he had no regrets about his policy of making seven changes. “We played our best team we can play. It was a moment for a different player. We came from a crazy fixture [Chelsea] and were forced to take some decisions to rest some players.

“The season has been tough. I told you it was going to be a massive challenge for us, a tough season for us. We are disappointed to be out of two competitions. We can’t feel differently. But now we have to be positive. “We have two competitions. We are in a good position in the Premier League and in the Champions League. We have to be strong and ready for Wednesday [when they play Watford]. To that end Pochettino reported the availability of one of his missing superstars, Son Heung-min, back from the Asian Cup and ready to go.

Read more at: https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/...ottenham-news-latest-trophies-crystal-palace/

 

[ScottDaYid]

He's an idiot.

I'm sure potential new signings (and current players Eriksen, Kane etc) have heard that and will think twice about joining/staying

He really doesn't do himself any favors does he

 

[Spursex]

Former Tottenham midfielder Ryan Mason has urged fans to stop getting ahead of themselves as they lament over a disappointing week of cup football.

Spurs were dumped out of both the EFL Cup and FA Cup within the space of four days following defeats to Chelsea on Thursday and Crystal Palace on Sunday.

It, again, realistically leaves the club – currently third in the Premier League – with only with a top-four spot left to play for this season, with few expecting them to realistically challenge in the Champions League – where they face Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund in the last-16.

The back-to-back cup exits are a huge disappointment for Spurs supporters, who are desperate to see the team – arguably their best of the Premier League era – lift silverware and avoid becoming this generation’s ‘nearly men’.




2

Trippier’s penalty miss against Crystal Palace summed up Tottenham’s lack of luck in recent weeks
But Mason believes fans should stop and remember how far they have come in recent years, and perhaps lower their expectations.

Speaking on talkSPORT’s Final Word on Sunday night, the Spurs academy graduate said: “We need to rewind.

“I’m a Tottenham man and a Tottenham fan. I’ve spent my whole life going to the Lane and I saw them playing Champions League football once, and that was just a one-off. That was incredible and everyone thought, ‘wow, let’s just enjoy this season because we’ll never see it again’.

“Now they’re transforming the club into a big club, but, as much as it might hurt some fans, Tottenham have never been that much of a big club.

“Prehistorically, years ago they won European cups in the 80s but recent history suggests Tottenham are not a big club and they have not been competing with sides like of Manchester United, playing Champions League football every year and winning trophies.


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“Now with the new stadium, the new training round, the manager and the squad, Tottenham are becoming a big club and people are disappointed we didn’t win the FA Cup – but that’s been happening for a long time.

“I think some fans need to remember where we were and the bigger picture is hopefully the trophies will come.”

Mason also came to the defence of manager Mauricio Pochettino, who faced criticism for fielding a much-changed side in the 2-0 fourth round defeat to Palace.

Injuries to Harry Kane and Dele Alli – both out until March – and losing Heung-min Son to the Asian Cup have come at the worst time imaginable for the club as they failed to score for only the third time this season.

French winger N’Koudou – making his first start for the club since December 2017 – was among those given a chance to impress, but at 2-0 he missed a glorious chance to score to put Spurs back in the tie, while Kieran Trippier missed a penalty.

But Mason insists the manager should not be blamed for reshuffling his team.
https://talksport.com/football/fa-cup/483199/tottenham-news-ryan-mason-mauricio-pochettino/#

Pochettino is wanted by some of the top teams in the world – yet he has not won anything in four seasons at Spurs
“It’s just so unfortunate these injuries and the Asian Cup have come at this time,” he added.

“Of course when you make changes it might raise a few eyebrows and people ask why he did it, but a few months ago Kyle Walker-Peters started a Premier League game and got three assists, and nobody said anything, Oliver Skipp played against Burnley and we won, and nobody said anything.

“Ultimately the manager believes in the players he’s got and he gives them the opportunity to go out there and perform.”

 

[Spursex]

He's an idiot.

I'm sure potential new signings (and current players Eriksen, Kane etc) have heard that and will think twice about joining/staying

He really doesn't do himself any favors does he

Trouble is; they're not stupid and even they know it's true.

The dilemma for them is stay and watch Spurs CL place become a standard or go get some silverware that they can look back on when they're career is over..?

 

[Removed at own request]

This is why I cant take to him 100%

 

[Spursex]

This is why I cant take to him 100%

You aren't alone, many of the Spurs twitteraty can't stomach his reality - but in my view it is the only reality that matters (for now).

This focus has allowed us to achieve (my dream) of supremacy over our north london Gypsy neighbours - the daily diet of crap and arrogance you'd get from Arsenal fans has gone.

We now need to ground them into the Europa dust and watch as they now fit there way through a mini financial crisis that may consign them to be perenial Top4 wannabees for a very long time.

So in my head, often, this is all the 'glory' and compensation for my patience for silverware I need.

 

[Spursex]

Mauricio Pochettino uses West Ham as example to explain lack of progress at Tottenham

• 28th January 2019

Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United saw any chance of domestic cup success come to a shuddering halt at the weekend.
Out of the Carabao Cup, West Ham were humbled 4-2 away at League One basement boys AFC Wimbledon in the FA Cup fourth round.

Then Spurs were comfortably beaten 2-0 by Crystal Palace.

Tottenham still have the Champions League last 16 to focus on and securing qualification for the competition next year.

West Ham’s only remaining goal is to aim for a seventh place finish to secure Europa League football.

West Ham have not won a major trophy for nearly 40 years.

Pochettino compares Spurs struggles to West Ham
But for Tottenham the urgency for silverware is more acute. Many fans and pundits feel winning a first trophy in his tenure is vital to the long-term success of Tottenham.

With Manchester United and Real Madrid interested in acquiring Pochettino’s services, winning a trophy is about more than just furnishing the Tottenham trophy cabinet. It could be instrumental in keeping the Argentine at Tottenham.

Pre-empting the defeat at Palace, Pochettino has moved to explain Tottenham’s lack of progress in terms of silverware.
Speaking to Sky Sports the Spurs boss likened their situation to West Ham’s putting the blame on their stadium move.

Stadium move hurt West Ham’s progress like Spurs

“We are always close to the last step (to trophies) but to achieve it is the most difficult thing,” Pochettino told Sky Sports.

“At the moment, the team needed the last push, what happened? We build and build but then, White Hart Lane – gone.

“We moved to Wembley and there were all the doubts about how we are going to behave. There was the example of West Ham in their first season (at the London Stadium) and many things in this process that stopped the evolution of their team about to win.


“Remember, we were unbeaten in the Premier League at White Hart Lane in our last season there.





“Nobody said what it meant to move to Wembley to create another project and not only this – we were going to play only one season at Wembley, and now it’s nearly two seasons and no one says nothing.

“When Arsenal moved (to the Emirates), people talked about massive problems, they are still paying.”

Tottenham are clearly competing on a different level to West Ham under Pochettino.

Three years in but stadium move starting to pay off for West Ham

But West Ham fans will relate to his comments.

West Ham’s final season at their beloved Upton Park saw the club record their best ever Premier League points tally.

The Hammers finished just four points off the Champions League.

But the move to the London Stadium has been disruptive to the progress West Ham were making on the pitch.

Two seasons flirting with relegation look to be behind the Hammers now.

But Manuel Pellegrini’s side have little to play for other than the possibility of securing a Europa League spot.

Three years into the stadium move things are starting to settle down for the Hammers at the London Stadium.

West Ham have the second highest number of season ticket holders in the Premier League, the fourth highest attendances in Europe and will have the second highest capacity in the Premier League of 66,000 even after the stadium rebuild at Tottenham.

The increased revenue has started to bear fruit in the transfer market where West Ham splurged £100 million in the summer while Tottenham failed to make a single signing.

 

[Removed at own request]

You aren't alone, many of the Spurs twitteraty can't stomach his reality - but in my view it is the only reality that matters (for now).

This focus has allowed us to achieve (my dream) of supremacy over our north london Gypsy neighbours - the daily diet of crap and arrogance you'd get from Arsenal fans has gone.

We now need to ground them into the Europa dust and watch as they now fit there way through a mini financial crisis that may consign them to be perenial Top4 wannabees for a very long time.

So in my head, often, this is all the 'glory' and compensation for my patience for silverware I need.

It goes back to the squad hes built.

He is saying we cant compete in the cups, but the squad is his doing.

Build a better squad and its not an issue.

I assume the club wont be charging more than £10 for cup games going forward as they dont matter?

 

[Deleted member 7310]

Nonsense, his words contradict his own actions.

If he really believed that he wouldn't grind our squad to pulp every year playing those cups, and the EL 3-4 years back.

Over his tenure his decisions to field the best player for these "ego" cups resulted in injuries and fatigue which, if avoided, could have won us major honors.

 

[Removed at own request]

Nonsense, his words contradict his own actions.

If he really believed that he wouldn't grind our squad to pulp every year playing those cups, and the EL 3-4 years back.

Over his tenure his decisions to field the best player for these "ego" cups resulted in injuries and fatigue which, if avoided, could have won us major honors.

I think he would have had more backing if he played the U23s at Tranmere.

 

[muttley]

"In reality the most important thing is to build a team that is always going to be in the top four”

I'm struggling with that statement. Replace the word "build" with "dismantle" and it's more of a truism of our current scenario. We've lost 2 of the golden generation and seen huge negative impacts in the RB and centre mid positions. With the Wanyama / Rose injuries that's been mirrored on the other side. No team fears either our midfield or our full-backs at this point in the journey. Add to that the age of some key players and Eriksen's contract scenario and who wouldn't be nervous?

We won't be able to maintain top 4 with just the progression of kids from the academy. Eventually, there has to be statements of intent in the transfer market to go with it, despite the stadium build and latency between that and the eventual increased cashflow.

I still think we'll scrape top 4 this season, but wouldn't be surprised to see 5th. Can't stress the importance of these next 3 home games though. With Man City having the 2 home games to Arsenal and Chelsea at the same time, we have to gain points on our nearest rivals. That will leave 12 games to go and hopefully the same size of cushion we have now.

 

[stupops]

Whilst I have to agree with Ex's view I am finding it difficult to have blind faith in the manager at the moment.
He seems terribly single minded and dare I say a one trick pony.
Pollo has to spot on with his picks for the cups. His choices just don't make any sense if top 4 is the most important thing.

 

[Spursex]

It goes back to the squad hes built.

He is saying we cant compete in the cups, but the squad is his doing.

Build a better squad and its not an issue.

I assume the club wont be charging more than £10 for cup games going forward as they dont matter?

We had that debate at the weekend - if the cups don't matter, say it at the begining of the campaigns - tell everyone we'll be fielding 2nd/3rd teams and only charge supporters a tenner...

Otherwise it's misrepresentation.

I know why he said it, but he is at times his own worse enermy and frankly his utterances are beginning to piss me off.

 

[Removed at own request]

Where does playing the strongest team in the CL given the injuries sit with the managers ego?

Surely thats all about his ego?

 

[Spursex]

Where does playing the strongest team in the CL given the injuries sit with the managers ego?

Surely thats all about his ego?

No, I can't see that - we're making a statement in the CL about being good enough and gaining traction in the transfer market where it matters - at least that's the theory.

But most of all, the further you go in the CL, the bigger the bucks get - especially match day and media revs...

 

[Welshtel]

I think if we had stayed in the cup competitions and maybe won one of them, everyone would have been happy. We all realise that we have a limited budget with the stadium costs as they are and I think most of us also understand that Pochettino has managed the squad pretty well and engineered some decent wins in spite of the injury list which is not his fault. But we’ve been in all the competitions, away from our true home and in a lot of transition.

If the board had helped with a couple of players, we could have perhaps got better results. But of course there’s no guarantee that a few new players would answer all the problems. They have to be bedded in, their best positions worked out, they have to settle at the club, settle at home etc, so there’s no sure answer that they would blaze any trails.

I was gutted that we lost on penalties to Chelseaa and then 3 days later we got shoved out of a another competition. That was hard to take.

I like Pochettino, I think he’s ok but we are short in the squad and perhaps we just need to be patient but I’m sure it will come good when we get into the new stadium and not gel until next season. I’m frustrated, yes of course but let’s be realistic. We have lots going for us. Stick with it lads, there’s another angle, we just shelved a pile of work that was getting on top of us, so let’s concentrate on the Prem and do what we can there!

CHINS UP LADS! New beginnings are just over the horizon. Injuries don’t last forever.

 

[Nick Real Deal]

Poch is looking at the now. Not how we approached the cups from the off.

If Kane, Son, Alli, Eriksen and Sissoko had been available against Palace who would have played out of them ? Probably all of them. I suggest Palace would have been battered. Keeping in mind some rotation was needed for Winks and Aurier and Wanyama couldn't play the full 90.

This scenario wasn't the case at the start of the cups. Poch has reacted to our situation and made the right call, not a pleasant one true.

He has been too honest in his words on the important targets. But I would rather that than being deceived and strung along. We don't have the depth, surely we all know that, so we have to prioritise and go where the money is.

 

[Critical_Spur]

CHINS UP LADS! New beginnings are just over the horizon. Injuries don’t last forever.

Welshtel, some nice sentiments in your COMPLETE post.

My biggest worry is if we fail to make top-4, expect the squad to be dismantled and start another project. 'Stick with it lads?'....I'd be struggling to sell that line to the players.

 

[Critical_Spur]

Poch is looking at the now. Not how we approached the cups from the off.

If Kane, Son, Alli, Eriksen and Sissoko had been available against Palace who would have played out of them ? Probably all of them. I suggest Palace would have been battered. Keeping in mind some rotation was needed for Winks and Aurier and Wanyama couldn't play the full 90.

This scenario wasn't the case at the start of the cups. Poch has reacted to our situation and made the right call, not a pleasant one true.

He has been too honest in his words on the important targets. But I would rather that than being deceived and strung along. We don't have the depth, surely we all know that, so we have to prioritise and go where the money is.

Trouble is NRD, all of Poch's statements are made in hind sight. Funny how he blames everything but the club's failure to freshen up the squad, which he stated several times was needed.

 

[Spursex]

.

" We don't have the depth, surely we all know that, so we have to prioritise and go where the money is.

I know we should all be able to see that - but it still amazes me how many here still think we do have the quality in depth!!