Ian Wright on Tottenham title chances and Pochettino comments

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Ian Wright has claimed on his personal YouTube channel that Mauricio Pochettino’s recent comments are the reason for Tottenham Hotspur are failing to keep pace with the Premier League’s leaders.

Spurs have suffered two straight defeats. A loss to Burnley was worsened by an appalling display against Chelsea. They now sit nine points behind leaders Liverpool, and eight behind Manchester City.

It could get a whole lot worse for Tottenham, too. That is because they will be worryingly looking over their shoulder now, with north London rivals Arsenal sitting just four points behind in fourth place.

Spurs take on Unai Emery’s side on Saturday. Wright feels that Spurs are out of the title race, and has blasted Pochettino for his comments – stating he would hate Emery if the Arsenal boss had said something like that.

“They’re going to come up short because they simply do not have enough,” Wright said. “Plus, I would hate to see Unai Emery say – if we were six points off the top  – it’s going to take us five to 10 years to win the league.

“It’s almost as though he is giving his players the license to say, if it doesn’t happen, don’t worry about it. He did this last season. When he says it, they fall off again. The players have an excuse because of the manager’s comments.”

TBR’s view

Wright is spot on. Pochettino’s comments are completely bewildering. To say in the public domain that his side are not good enough to win the Premier League is both demoralising, and unsettling.

The likes of Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen will all want to win trophies in their careers. But to tell them that they will not win the Premier League for five years could – and should – convince them to depart.

Fans want to dream, not to live in reality. Pochettino’s comments might indeed be true, but admitting it in the public domain was wrong – and Spurs could now pay the consequences, on and off the pitch.