Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness has launched a scathing attack on Tottenham Hotspur, accusing them of “standing still” in the Premier League.
Spurs were subjected to a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Liverpool on Saturday, and Souness believes that boss Mauricio Pochettino would have wanted to add more players to the squad in order to be on par with the Reds, and this is something that he is frustrated at.
He reckons that when a new player comes into a club, the others feel like they need to improve – but Souness thinks that the Lilywhites have not felt reinvigorated this season due to not bringing anybody in, which means that they are “standing still.”
“[Pochettino’s] frustrated. He would have wanted four or five players in the summer, but it was obvious he wasn’t going to get them. [Spurs] needed two or three quality players to come in and reinvigorate the squad,” he told Sky Sports.
“When you are a player in a squad and a big player comes in you get excited because you think he will make you better. You find another yard in training and want to impress.
“That invigorates the squad, and Tottenham didn’t have that this year. If you are not buying anyone you are standing still in football terms.”
OPINION
This is a scathing attack launched by Souness, but as hard as it is to admit, he is right. Tottenham are miles behind the likes of Liverpool at the moment, and this defeat has all but omitted them from the Premier League title race this season. If they cannot overcome the likes of the Reds – who are considered Manchester City’s closest challengers – then they do not stand any chance whatsoever of bidding for honours themselves. Clubs like the ones mentioned above have gone out and spent this summer, whilst Spurs have not – and for this reason, Souness believes that Pochettino’s men are not making any sort of progress in improving their lack of depth. Pochettino will need to spend in January, otherwise he is just going to fall further and further behind the rest of the top-six – and that is not the direction that he wants his side to be heading in.