Chris Hughton throws support behind Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino

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Former Tottenham Hotspur Chris Hughton has slammed the criticism of Mauricio Pochettino and branded the Argentine ‘a wonderful manager’.

Pochettino is under-fire at the moment for a poor run of results that have seen them slip to 13 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool and exit the Carabao Cup to League Two Colchester United.

Spurs were also thrashed 7-2 in the Champions League by Bayern Munich, and are without a win away from home in the league since January.

Questions have therefore been asked about Pochettino’s potential to take the team any further than he already has, but Hughton – who represented the club from 1977-90 and made 394 appearances – has thrown his backing behind the 47-year-old.

Speaking on talkSPORT, he said: “[The criticism] is very harsh.

“We’re talking about a manager who has achieved something that the large majority will never do, which is getting to a Champions League final.

“They have a wonderful manager. You can’t go from being the manager who gets you to the Champions League final a few months ago to suddenly being a manager who can’t get the best out of the team.

“They are capable of going on a good run, but it is a difficult period they’re going through.”

TBR’s view

Hughton knows all too well the nature of Premier League management, and it is little surprise to see him backing Pochettino given his affiliation with the club.

Pochettino is such a talented manager, but maybe only so much can be done without significant investment.

Spurs spent a lot in the summer but are still light, and a rebuilding process could be in the offing with Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen and Christian Eriksen all in the final years of their contracts – suggesting things are only going to get tougher.