Tottenham Hotspur strolled through to the knockout stages of the Champions League, topping their group.
Spurs were drawn in this year’s group of death alongside Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund and many would have been forgiven for thinking that they were the least likely of all the English sides to book a place in the last 16.
However, they not only finished top of their group – winning five and drawing one of their six games – but they also claimed more points than any other team in any group in the competition this year to lay down a marker for the next phase.
But while Shearer has praised Pochettino’s side, he has suggested that he has concerns for their chances of going all the way in the competition due to their lack of silverware in recent times.
“Tottenham dropped just two points along the way — and that was a draw at the Bernabeu,” he told The Sun. “They are, on their day, a match for anyone.
“Yet there remains a fragility about them. They don’t look like winners. Mauricio Pochettino has missed a trick by not going for a domestic trophy to instil that winning mentality.”
Shearer may be writing Tottenham off, but many would have probably been saying similar when they were drawn in such a tough group at the start of the season – and they proved in emphatic fashion that they deserve to be at Europe’s top table.
Certainly, claiming three wins and a draw from their four games with Madrid and Dortmund will give them the belief that over the two legs, they can beat anyone left in the competition. Given the quality left in the Champions League, they will certainly need every ounce of belief they can muster.
How far will Tottenham go in this season’s Champions League?
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