Mauricio Pochettino has held his press conference ahead of Tottenham’s Premier League trip to Crystal Palace on Wednesday night.
One of the most interesting lines that came out of the conference concerned speculation surrounding Dele Alli’s future.
Reports suggest Manchester City are keen on taking Alli to the Etihad this summer.
When Pochettino was asked if the 21-year-old will stay with Spurs, he said: “I cannot guarantee anything in life. The most important [thing] is to try to enjoy the present.”
Some might read into those comments a little too deeply, but ESPN journalist Dan Kilpatrick made a worthwhile observation about Pochettino’s words in the tweet below.
#thfc Bit of context here: I think Poch was influenced by what happened to Ehiogu when he said he could guarantee nothing in life.
— Dan Kilpatrick (@Dan_KP) April 25, 2017
The Argentine also paid further tribute to the late Ugo Ehiogu before discussing the title race. You can watch the full conference below.
As we listen, before the season has even ended, to the wild mischievous speculation surrounding
the whereabouts of most of our squad next season, a few points of perspective are needed in this depressingly envious, jealous and greed-ridden world.
Liverpool’s constant harping on about how they ‘missed’ getting Deli Alli, and Adrian Durham’s rantings on TalkSport about other clubs being able to offer 2 and 3 times more than the wages Spurs are currently giving the players etc., ignores so much that Poch and his coaches, and Levy, have done at Tottenham.
Most of our players have been MADE top draw! They are not Peles or Maradonnas, or Messis. I hope beyond hope they DO become such players. But they have been thrust into the spotlight by Poch’s methods and via the stability of the club achieving a team framework that works beautifully ..en masse’. In other words, this has been about the formation of a TEAM (and a heck of a team at that). If Liverpool had bought Alli, the chances are that he’d be currently on loan at a Championship club. You may argue otherwise, but his talent would not have been revealed like it has been at Spurs. And that’s taking nothing away from Liverpool. We simply waste potential of young English players in this country. Let’s take other players. 27 year old Walker? A couple of years back, would the huge ‘extra wage paying’ clubs have come in for him? No ..but a damn good player has been transformed into a better near-great one ..by Poch. The same with 27 year old Danny Rose ..out on loan to bottom clubs up to a few years back. Let’s look at Alderwerald (the best centre half in the PL say many). This 28 year old was under everyone’s radar until a few seasons back. Poch improved him at Southampton and developed him into the great player he’s become at Spurs. Dier, a bit of a plodding young CB with Sporting Lisbon, yet with some potential ..now transformed into a holding midfielder (and top CB cover) par excellence. Kane, Winks ..at other big clubs would they have truly got their chance?? Son has improved under Poch, so too Erikssen, even Dembele. The point is this. All these players have been fortunate to develop at a club which has understood what will improve them, the squad, and most importantly for us fans, our team. That is not naivety. It is about the togetherness that Spurs have generated. The hope has turned to expectancy. The new state-of-the art training ground. The new state-of-the art imminent stadium. Yes, Spurs try to currently and unsurprisingly, with all other expenditure, run a tight ship ..yet they make up for it in so many other ways. Do the top players at Spurs, who are on £70k to £100k pw, really think it’s that more important to be somewhere else where they can be on 150k to £200k? Can they utilise any MORE money than what they currently get? ..especially after taxes and agent commissions etc.? Would they ever feel again what they have felt at Tottenham in these recent productive years? Is there really no such thing as loyalty and love for this great club they play for (yes, I know there’s much empty ‘kissing’ of badges’ elsewhere), or no sense of being beautifully looked after while having been helped to their levels of capability by a club that has finally worked out what it’s doing (far more than most big clubs) in how to bring out the best in players ..and how to bring young decent players through, transforming them completely? Has football really become THAT cynical?? These players aren’t well paid solicitors considering moving to another firm. They are players who earn fortunes, and who millions of fans around the world worship. Sure the club is bigger than any one player ..but please honour Tottenham Hotspur and pay back your dues. It is Tottenham that made you, and if the club have ambition then stay and see the project through. You will be amply rewarded (even more) once (and as a team ..not individuals) we begin to win things!
Very well put, and couldn’t agree more. However no one seems to be mentioning the fact that we haven’t sold to a direct rival since Berbatov, and that is never going to happen again. So no matter what city offer, Levy will never take it, he knows how much of a backward step it is. As for Barcelona being interested who exactly would Eriksen be replacing in their lineup? Iniesta & Busquets are aging but he’ll be a bit part squad player, and I seriously doubt any player in our squad would give up a first choice place in a team challenging for a title for an off the bench role.
Totally agree good to hear from someone with sense