MAURICIO POCHETTINO DODGED the chance to categorically confirm that he will still be in charge at Tottenham next season.
The Argentine raised doubts over his future following Spurs’ disappointing FA Cup semi-final defeat to Manchester United when he told beIN SPORTS: “I told your colleague before that with me or another coaching staff the club needs to push on, working in this direction and will be fantastic one day for Tottenham to reach the same level as the clubs like Manchester United and Manchester City.
“But it’ll be a long way to work to arrive at this next level.”
Pochettino has in the past been linked as a potential successor to Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid, while there are suggestions that he is in the frame to take the vacancy that will be left by Unai Emery at Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season, although Thomas Tuchel remains the favourite.
The 46-year-old was asked if he will lead Spurs into their new stadium at White Hart Lane next season, but seemingly chose to deflect the question by talking in more generic terms over the direction of the club’s project.
“After the disappointment of the result against Manchester United, I was very honest to tell you that we create a philosophy and a project for the long term and trying to be different to other clubs,” he said.
“I wanted to say [with comments after the FA Cup defeat] that the club is not going to change.
“If I stay here for three years more, after three years the project will not change. The most important thing now is that project we need to keep pushing.
“And, of course, we are frustrated about bad results. But we cannot change because the club cannot change.
“It cannot go ‘okay that is the project in Tottenham and now we are going to do the same that Manchester United are doing now’.
“Tottenham needed, when we arrived here, to have a clear idea about discipline, rules, principles, a project to develop, to use young players and that was how we created this project all together.
“Whether it is me or another, that is the right project to keep pushing, don’t be disappointed if we still don’t win a trophy.”
Pochettino did, though, suggest that his contract at Spurs means discussions on his future are immaterial, adding: “I still have three years contract here, so there’s no point to talk about that.”
The former Southampton boss believes that Spurs are “victims of our success” and that the club are ahead of where they planned to be at this stage under his leadership.
“I remind you that in my first meeting with [chairman] Daniel Levy and [owner] Joe Lewis, the target was to arrive in the new stadium in four years and to create a team to have the possibility to fight for the top four and the second year to play Champions League,” he said.
“We are victims of our success because we are ahead in the project.”
Take the field. Look over the heads of your opposition. Focus on the uprights, this is your goal. Breathe. Rember you are not representing Ireland, for 80 minutes you are Ireland. Breathe. 80 minutes may seem long when you are camped on your 22, and defending you line. It is not. Time is short. Live every minute as if it is your last time in a green shirt, sooner than you expect it will be. Breathe. Look beyond the opposition who stand between you and your goal. Move forward, always forward and remember today for a short 80 minutes, you are Ireland.
So … Don’t forget to breathe !!!
Andrew, thats excellent.
Craig, sounds like you have never played rugby
Doloris, what a petty comment to make on the eve of the world cup. Petty provincial rivalry right now is pathetic. BOD is our best player.
I am a munster man (living in Dublin) by the way
Anybody with a double name is a tit.
good luck to our gang in the land of the long white cloud,its time to stand up and fight.
A lot done, more to do…
Best of luck men! This is the start of a journey!!
best of luck we are hoping for good game plenty tries no ingeries moss connell
Ronan don’t forget the last 15 mins
Go on boys do the bizz. I have great trust in the munster lads —— let BOD in the dug out!!!!
Good woman! Leave sexton longside him too!
Think sticky hands, fast feet, and cricket scores.. Come on lads give us a great start.. Good luck to you all..
Do your best, and remember it’s the taking part that counts! :-\
in it too win it mr dirt , why else bother ?
Sexton will choke again and miss a shed load of kicks.
Prophetic. Do the lotto man with foresight like that!
Your on the ball lad. Bet the young lad in that O2 ad wouldn’t waste his first pick on him after that!!!
Good luck, give it all you’ve got and there will be no regrets.
Walk into them!
What a great game keep it up boys x