Mauricio Pochettino asks for time to bring trophies back to Tottenham
The north London club's last major trophy came in 2008, though they could reach the last 16 of the Europa League on Thursday
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Mauricio Pochettino is under no apparent pressure as Tottenham manager but has urged fans to give him time to bring the glory days back to North London.
Spurs last won a major trophy in 2008 as they lifted the League Cup but despite an upturn in their form on the pitch in the three years of the Argentine’s reign, they still lack anything tangible to reflect their improvement.
That could change this season with Tottenham in the FA Cup quarter-finals and if they can overturn a 1-0 first leg deficit against KAA Gent at Wembley on Thursday, will be in the Europa League last 16.
“We cannot buy time, that is the most important thing for us,” said Pochettino. “Then it’s too easy to say we want to win titles and move the club to the next level. It takes time to create the new stadium and it takes time to create to win trophies. We are in that process to try to build a really very good squad to try to fight with the big sides to win titles.
“In a short period you cannot do it – only if you have money enough to buy the best players in the world. Then you maybe don’t need much time, but the process we are in and our philosophy we need time. We are showing a good basis, but now it’s time to develop the winning mentality. It is the hardest job to win titles. You can win games but to win titles, the Premier League, is another step. It is the harder job to try to move on the club. To win titles you need to show all that and more quality too.
“We are building a new stadium. That process always is a tough period for every club. Then the club has the tools to try to fight with the big sides in the Champions League,“ he added.
“We finished maybe three or four years ago our training ground and it is fantastic, one of the best in the world. We are building a new stadium and we believe that will be one of the best and the team is in the same process. We started three years ago and we are trying to build a new team and a new mentality and a new philosophy and we are in that process. It is [important] to be patient. I hope I can see that process and that patience and success. That is my aim and my big challenge at Tottenham.”
Spurs' dressing room is apparently divided on their ambitions though. Jan Vertonghen claimed this week the club hoped to win both the FA Cup and Europa League but key striker Harry Kane said on Wednesday: “Of course we want to win a trophy. But I don’t think it will be the be-all or end-all if we don’t.”
Tottenham have been frustratingly inconsistent over this current season with a 1-0 defeat in Belgium followed by a straightforward 3-0 FA Cup win at Fulham on Sunday. Now Pochettino has talked about time in a different sense by claiming it will take him just 50 seconds tonight to accurately predict whether his side will win or lose.
“Of course you can detect it,” he said. “The problem is to change that. When we start a game, if you only watch 50 seconds, you know in that moment it is difficult to change. It is difficult to change that perception and then you give a very good signal to the opponent that you are not focused on the game. You need to change that mentality.”
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