Inter vice president backs up Pochettino view

Inter Milan vice-president Javier Zanetti spoke on the sidelines during and after the 6-1 defeat to us in Oslo and he reaffirmed the views I was expressing all last season and that Pochettino expressed in Australia.

"There are still to weeks to the first real game and we must do everything and more to get better. Even a defeat like this is an important test because we played with a team that starts next week the league.  

"We should not look for excuses, we take note of defeat and work."

It is an attitude you must have to be a successful club, no excuses. Zanetti has seen plenty of success at Inter and now they are looking to revive those days. 

Fans need to start thinking like successful fans and stop making excuses for players. That isn't to say you bemoan every misplaced pass, a pass is often made where you expect a player to make a run and he doesn't. It isn't the player lacking movement who gets the criticism, it is the player who passed the ball, but who's mistake is it really?

Individual errors will happen, eve Messi makes them. It is more the attitude towards the club and towards playing, towards improving yourself, towards keep going when you are not playing.

The debate of Alex Pritchard will rage, but he came out and made an excuse, he claimed he wasn't given a chance, yet he was training every day, that is what he is paid his wages for. Football is dog eat dog, if you want to play prove it to the boss.

The competition for places, especially with th youth coming through is great. Pochettino can't play all of them and he can't put all of them on the bench. Onomah, Edwards, Winks, Carter-Vickers, Walkes, Ball to name a few. what you can't have is 23 or 24-year-old players who haven't established themselves blocking their way.

Tom Carroll seems to be the new Tom Huddlestone, plenty of ability you rarely see and happy to be a third choice while he makes up the home-grown quota. With performances in pre-season Harry Winks must be pushing him for his place in the squad. Carroll is up for sale if we are offered enough money.

For me, he should have gone on loan to Ajax when Christian Eriksen came to Tottenham. He had the chance but turned it down and apart from bulking up he hasn't changed much, he game has hardly advanced. That is just the sort of mentality that needs changing. You see signs he has changed, but not enough for me.

Harry Winks looks hungry, could you say the same about Tom Carroll? Which attitude would you want at Tottenham, for me and those who have seen consistent success at their clubs it has to be the hungry no excuses, take responsibility approach.

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