Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has come out in strong support of their under-fire chairman Daniel Levy.
After failing to sign a single player in the summer, announcing stadium delays, and rumours of late player outgoings, Levy has found himself at the brunt of a lot of fan frustration in recent weeks.
Pochettino stated: “First of all, I think we are going to be successful, and second there is no point blaming the club, the board or Daniel. He is doing, with the board, an amazing effort to create the legacy that will be there for the rest of the generation, and forever.
“You cannot blame a person that cannot sleep because he is thinking about how to deliver the best job for the club.
“It’s easy for the responsible people such as Daniel to think ‘OK, rather than investing in creating a massive training ground and building a new stadium, let’s put the money into players. Happy? In 20 years, I’m going to be remembered for winning the Premier League.’ But in the end, there would still be 35,000 in the stadium. It’s how you grow up and have a vision.
“It generates income and resources the club will need to be in the top four and have good players. The manager complains, the players complain, the fans complain — but he is working with his people trying to build the new era in the stadium.”
Pochettino then responded to opinions that he may be supporting the chairman to save his own skin, after all, Levy has the power to hire and fire as he pleases.
“Of course you can tell me ‘Mauricio you are so nice, so kind [to him] because if you don’t win on Saturday you are going to be sacked. [That would be] no problem. But I’ve spent 12 hours [a day] or more here and I know how he suffers, how much the people here suffer.
“The fans only need to be patient, to believe and support the club through a very difficult moment. I’m sure we’re going to have success in the future, with myself or with another manager.
“To help today the club in that difficult moment, I think it was my responsibility to be here.”
You can tell Pochettino’s sheer passion for the long-term project at Tottenham, a project that he started when he first signed for the club and carried through all the way to his latest contract.
“I am very grateful to the club, to the fans and to Daniel Levy. When you are in a difficult situation, this is the moment when you need to show that you are there.
“It’s easy when everything is good to be there but when the winter is coming to run away. I think to be there in the front line fighting with all the circumstances that today are in the club, I feel the responsibility to be there.
“That is why I am here, and because I’m happy and I think Tottenham gave us, my family, Jesus [Perez] everyone, a lot of things that always we will be grateful for.
“It was a moment to say, ‘I am going to be with you all, fighting against the circumstances,’ because we knew what was going to happen.”
And it was this idea of fighting that Pochettino spoke a lot about, in what he believes will be his ‘toughest’ season at Tottenham.
“For me, it will be the toughest season, and I think if we want success we have to give more than our best. It’s not enough, 100 percent. It’s 200 percent.
“We know from inside that it will be hard, the season, and because we are warriors we want to fight. We want to be proud in the end. We want success and not to complain or make excuses. I am a winner and I love the challenge, so that is why I feel I have full energy.”
Where do you think Tottenham could finish this season? Do Pochettino’s words fill you with belief?
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