Mauricio Pochettino has questioned Tottenham’s ability to win the title after his side failed to show the sufficient level of fight against Burnley last weekend.
Spurs fell to their seventh Premier League defeat of the season at Burnley. Goals from Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes, either side of a Harry Kane equaliser, sealed the points for the hosts.
Pochettino’s men missed the opportunity to close the gap on Liverpool and Manchester City at the top of the table, increasing the need for a result against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.
In his press conference on Tuesday, which you can watch here, Pochettino condemned his players’ inability to beat Burnley, a game he called a “must-win” last week.
“If you want to be a real contender, playing well or not, it’s (the game against Burnley) a must-win,” Pochettino said (via Sky Sports).
“You need to show you are fighting for big things and I am frustrated because we didn’t show the same energy as Burnley, the same attitude as Burnley, the same ambition as Burnley.
“We have to look at ourselves and maybe assess ourselves in different ways – we are not looking for excuses.
“It is holding us back and it might take five years’ work, 10 years’ work to change that.”
The Tottenham boss went on to reveal motivating his players for meetings with Arsenal and Chelsea is easy but Spurs didn’t deserve anything against Burnley.
He added: “To go away and play the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal – that is easy. You don’t need a manager to motivate you for those games, that is normal.
“But if we don’t have the will to show that (against Burnley), then you don’t deserve anything.
“What we showed on Saturday was that we are a good team, have good quality but not enough to win a Premier League title – that is the reality.
“If you are not able to beat Burnley it is impossible to think you will win the title – if you do it’s because others have lost the opportunity themselves.
“The reality is that it will be tough to win the Premier League because of us, not because Liverpool or Manchester City are any better.”
After the trip to Chelsea, Tottenham face Arsenal at Wembley and Borussia Dortmund in Germany – it’s a run of fixtures that could make or break Spurs’ season.
He is absolutely right BUT, that fight and determination to win at all costs, has to be installed in the players by HIM and his coaches. The players have to be switched and motivated at all times during games FFS.
If you look at the league as it stands six more points for us would be massive. We should have got three points against arsenal however playing foyth instead of Toby was just crazy. Then you have the Burnley game, it was clear for all but the boss to see that the two wing backs were not effective so he should have changed the system sooner than he did.
So to conclude it’s a joint effort to win the league and that means playing your best players in the right formation and changing it when it’s not working.
For sure Spurs don’t have the quality to win this trophy or any trophy for that matter.
It does’t help having a clown as a coach.
Have the balls to drop Lloris for Gazzaniga like Sarri has In dropping Kepa.Anyone can see, With the exception of MP that Lloris and Trippier are toilet.
Woolwich will beat us on Saturday and end up higher than us at the end of the season.
What fun it will be playing in a half empty stadium next season without all our best players who will have got the message and left.
A leopard never changes its spots and we will always be bridesmaids and never brides.
Pathetic.