Jermaine Jenas has spoken highly of Tottenham and Mauricio Pochettino.
Jermaine Jenas during a press conference
Pundit and former Spurs midfielder Jermaine Jenas has told BBC Sport that he thinks Mauricio Pochettino has changed Tottenham’s mindset.
After four wins and two draws in their first six Premier League games, Tottenham head into their biggest game of the season so far this weekend as they take on Manchester City.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino
Not only is this a battle between second and first in the Premier League, but the game also sees Mauricio Pochettino take on Pep Guardiola again, having gone head-to-head during their respective spells in charge of Catalan rivals Espanyol and Barcelona.
After their attempts to win the Premier League title collapsed towards the end of last season, many were concerned that Tottenham would struggle to emulate last season’s success – but they already look like challenging for the title.
Currently just four points behind City at the top of the table, a win for Tottenham on Sunday would confirm Tottenham’s status as legitimate title challengers for the second season in a row.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino
Ahead of Sunday’s clash at White Hart Lane, former Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas has told BBC Sport that he thinks Spurs are already title challengers due to Pochettino’s influence.
Jenas believes that Tottenham are mentally ready for to battle for top spot having managed to pick up a 1-1 draw with Liverpool earlier this season despite looking ‘lethargic’ throughout, as they continue to get results even when not playing at their best.
Jenas added that the improved mindset under manager Pochettino is the biggest difference he has seen at Tottenham, as he wants to achieve much more than simply qualifying for the Champions League.
Jermaine Jenas
“They are not at their peak fitness levels yet – they looked lethargic against Liverpool at the end of August – but that has not affected their results,” said Jenas. “In the past, they would have lost that game against the Reds but this Spurs team is different. Mentally they are ready now, too.”
“You cannot underestimate how much they will have learned from challenging for the title, including gaining the belief that they can beat the top teams now. They beat City home and away last season, for example.”
“The mindset that Pochettino has brought in is the biggest difference I have noticed since my time at the club between 2005 and 2013. When I was at Spurs, we were delighted to get in the Champions League – but he aspires to a lot more. Pochettino has managed to instil that ambition in his players as well. Last season was fantastic, but it was just the start – now they want to go on and win the league, and they know what it will take to do it,” he added.
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