Pochettino - similar position to last year

Pochettino - similar position to last year


The press have tried to make an issue of mentality, comical since none of them have understood it for the last few years. Last season we had a settled back four, we simply rotated the full-backs. This season we have been without the best centre-back in the league, according to former centre-back Rio Ferdinand, without Lloris and without a left-back, as well as having a new defensive midfield for the other players to get used to.

We have had signings who have not hit the ground running in Moussa Sissoko and Vincent Janssen plus one who is raw and learning his trade in Kevin-Georges N'Koudou. We have had an injury to Kane, an injury to Lamela, Dembele was suspended and has been out with an injury. Christian Eriksen, Kyle Walker, Danny Rose and Son Heung-min have all played carrying injuries.

We have had to play our UEFA Champions League games away from White Hart Lane because the rules of the competition don't allow us to play at home, a health and safety issue, so we have had to play at unfamiliar surrounding, which does affect players as you have clearly seen.

All in all, there has been a lot to contend with. Yet we are still one point better off than we were last year.
"It can be one possibility, that the expectation is higher. There are different aspects and maybe we didn't cope with the expectation. 
"But if we see the result, today after 15 games we have 27 points - last season I think it was 26, one point more than last season. Last season in that moment we had qualified for the next round of the Europa League and like now we are in the Europa League. 
"We are in nearly the same position and last season it was 'wow, Tottenham'. Today the expectation is higher and for that we feel a bit disappointed. 
"Of course the Champions League was a big challenge and it disappointed a lot our fans, players and staff. That's the feeling but if we are cold and analyse the numbers, they are similar to last season."

It is more a fact that certain members of our squad were not performing that has seen us drop out of the Champions League from a group we should have perhaps qualified. The silver lining is that we have a chance to win a European trophy if we take the competition seriously and that would kill two birds with one stone.

A trophy and Champions League football, that has to be the goal. It will be all about how we manage the squad and whether more if them come to the party. Fans expectation and player expectation are two different things.

Do we have it mentally nailed yet, no we don't, but neither are we in crisis

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