MX23RW : Sunday, May 5 12:30:52| >> :120:12109:12109:

Pochettino feels Spurs have developed foundations to succeed

Pochettino feels Spurs have developed foundations to succeed
© Reuters
The Spurs boss is seeing improvement in his side's mentality.

Mauricio Pochettino believes Tottenham are developing a winning mentality and that their progress this season owes to them learning from their experiences.

They have reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time since his arrival in 2014, and remain in the top three of the Premier League despite injuries to influential players and two transfer windows passing without a signing being made.

Pochettino has been critical of his team's mentality after poor results ended their hopes of challenging for the title, but their performances across their Champions League tie with Borussia Dortmund demonstrated a maturity that was missing at the same stage against Juventus last year.

Spurs progressed against Borussia Dortmund
Spurs progressed against Borussia Dortmund (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Juve's approach, which Pochettino believes included pressuring match officials with the presence of senior figures including Pavel Nedved, was one the Spurs manager felt his club needed to learn from.

Spurs' bid for the 2016 title had also been undermined by inexperience when they dropped points in a defining fixture against rivals Chelsea, and the Argentinian said: "That is experience, through learning through history; competing in that level is not the same.

"To play a semi-final or quarter-final of the Europa League as a quarter-final in the Champions League, it's completely different.

"You know our competition is not only the talent on the pitch, dribbling, scoring goals or building from the back, it's how you approach, how you spend your energy and how you manage your energy in your mind.

"When a team wins an important trophy it's not only because we have good players or manager or coaching staff, it's having great people, a board, there that are thinking in winning and provide the structure for a winning mentality. It's so important.

"One game when there is 11 versus 11 players; around the pitch you need to manage properly too, because that business is like this. If we don't understand that we are so naive; it's so important to have the support."

Mauricio Pochettino (right) will rely on assistant manager Jesus Perez against Southampton
Mauricio Pochettino (right) will rely on assistant manager Jesus Perez against Southampton (John Walton/PA)

Pochettino is due to sit in the stands when Spurs visit his former team Southampton after receiving a two-match touchline ban for his conduct following defeat at Burnley last month.

"I'm allowed to go to the changing room and everything; I'm just not allowed to be sitting on the bench," he explained.

"I trust (my assistant Jesus Perez) and his decisions. It'll be a radio, a walkie-talkie (we use to communicate). We already use these, with our analysts."

ga('create', 'UA-72310761-1', 'auto', {'name': 'pacontentapi'});
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'referrer', location.origin);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension1', 'By Declan Warrington, Press Association Sport');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension2', '49150afc-8782-44d7-818d-5454689b6b54');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension3', 'paservice:sport,paservice:sport:club-news,paservice:sport:football,paservice:sport:uk,paservice:sport:world');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension6', 'story');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension7', 'composite');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension8', null);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension9', 'sport:football');
ga('pacontentapi.send', 'pageview', { 'location': location.href, 'page': (location.pathname + location.search + location.hash), 'title': 'Pochettino feels Spurs have developed foundations to succeed'});

ID:352709: cacheID:352709:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:8250:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Dele Alli sits injured on January 20, 2019
Read Next:
How Spurs could line up against Southampton
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal36265588286083
2Manchester CityMan City35257387335482
3Liverpool35229477364175
4Aston Villa35207873522167
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs341861067541360
6Newcastle UnitedNewcastle351751378562256
7Manchester UnitedMan Utd34166125251154
8Chelsea34149116559651
9West Ham UnitedWest Ham351310125665-949
10Bournemouth36139145263-1148
11Wolverhampton WanderersWolves36137164960-1146
12Fulham36128165155-444
13Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton341111125257-544
14Crystal Palace351010154557-1240
15Everton36129153849-1137
16Brentford3699185260-836
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3689194563-1829
18Luton TownLuton3668224978-2926
19Burnley3659223974-3524
RSheffield UnitedSheff Utd36372635100-6516


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!