BBC pundit Garth Crooks hits out at ‘dangerous’ comments from Tottenham boss

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Tottenham head coach under fire for giving up on the title early.

Garth Crooks has told BBC Sport he is not impressed with Mauricio Pochettino’s recent comments that he felt Tottenham Hotspur were out of the title race.

Spurs won 5-1 against Stoke City at the weekend, but it was their first victory in the Premier League for five games.

The team have fallen off the pace and are 18 points behind runaway league leaders Manchester City.

Catching them may not be realistic, but Crooks believe admitting as such was not something the Tottenham boss should have admitted openly.

Crooks told BBC Sport: “Arsene Wenger took a swipe at Pochettino recently claiming the Tottenham manager may have given up on the Premier League title but the Arsenal manager had not.

“Such statements by the Spurs manager are dangerous. If you are not chasing the Premier League title, then what exactly are you chasing and what are you telling your players before matches?”

Pochettino’s comments may have been intended as just being honest, but to make them at this early stage of the season was a little bizarre from the manager a team who valiantly gave chase for the past two campaigns.

Tottenham have a midweek game at home to Brighton this week, before facing league leaders Manchester City.

It is a game Tottenham and their rivals desperately need them to win if Pep Guardiola’s side are to stumble.