Mauricio Pochettino is beginning to sound like former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger in defence of his trophyless Tottenham side, according to The Sun’s deputy head of sport Martin Lipton.
The Spurs boss spoke out following his team’s 2-0 FA Cup defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday, suggesting that a top four finish should be prioritised over silverware, as reported by Sky Sports.
Writing in a column of The Sun, respected journalist Lipton suggested that the Argentine was starting to mimic former Gunners boss Wenger in his rhetoric.
He said: “The saddest thing, is that, like Arsene Wenger before him, Mauricio Pochettino is probably right. These days, the bottom line is cash, not domestic cups.
“Most fans will not accept that. And they are right not to accept it. After all, they still dream of a Wembley Cup Final. Of that feeling when the skipper lifts the trophy into the air but what could keep Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli, even Harry Kane at Tottenham will be Champions League football, not a Carabao Cup medal.
“Of course, when Wenger, reacting to a seventh successive year without silverware at Arsenal in 2012, declared “The first trophy is to finish in the top four” he was mocked by many, including many Spurs fans.
“Now it is Arsenal fans joining in the dismissive response to Pochettino’s reaction to his team’s FA Cup exit at Crystal Palace.”
OPINION
The last thing Spurs fans will want to acknowledge is that they’re turning into the new Arsenal, but at the moment, they are seriously in danger of doing so. Pochettino’s comments all be confirm that they would much rather have Champions League football than a piece of silverware, but then the question is, what’s more important? For the fans, and for Spurs’ reputation, a trophy would be a fantastic boost that would justify so much of the patience they have had to show under Pochettino. As Lipton says, however, European football is a must if they are to keep hold of Kane, Alli, and the rest of their elite players. It’s a conundrum, but supporters will ultimately argue that the tow aren’t mutually exclusive, and that they should be at a point now where a domestic trophy shouldn’t come at the price of European football. It’s a damning indictment of their transfer business that Pochettino feels he has to make that decision.