Tottenham Hotspur take on Watford in the Carabao Cup this evening.
Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino has told Football.London that chairman Daniel Levy is ‘disappointed’ that tonight’s game against Watford has to be played at Stadium MK.
Spurs picked up a much-needed 2-1 win at Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday evening, ending a three-game losing run to ease some concerns in North London.
Tonight, the attention turns to the Carabao Cup, as Tottenham ‘host’ Watford in a home tie, but Spurs won’t be playing at anything resembling a home ground.
Tottenham’s new stadium famously isn’t ready yet, and doesn’t appear to be close to completion for a little while, and their temporary home of Wembley Stadium isn’t available tonight.
That left Spurs scrambling for somewhere to play the game, and they have ended up having to take the game around 50 miles north of the club’s new stadium, to Milton Keynes Dons’ home of Stadium MK.
Some Spurs fans aren’t happy with the game being moved as the wait for their new stadium goes on, and Pochettino has been asked about how he feels with some supporters refusing to attend tonight.
Pochettino has told Football.London that he understands why fans are unhappy, but called on everybody to be strong rather than complaining or eventually looking for excuses.
Pochettino added that chairman Daniel Levy is ‘disappointed’ that the game has to be played in Milton Keynes rather than at Tottenham’s new home, and is continually disappointed that he hasn’t been able to deliver the new stadium to those frustrated fans yet.
“I think our fans feel very disappointed, like all of us,” said Pochettino. “Our chairman feels disappointed because it was a game to play in our stadium. It’s not under our control. Of course, I understand the fans who are so disappointed but so are the staff, the players, everyone who works for the club. The first is the chairman who cannot deliver the new stadium on time. I understand completely the fans are not happy but no-one is happy and we need to adapt ourselves in that circumstance. If we only complain, find excuses, it’s difficult for the club and team to move on, it’s difficult to be strong.”
“If not, the human being is always to find excuses if you don’t win. For me, it’s the opposite – to try to be strong. All that situation is to make us stronger than before and use that for the future, have the capacity to adapt. I want to be positive, I am positive because I am an optimistic person. I’m not going to blame or complain. We’re playing Watford at Milton Keynes. It’s a great opportunity for discovery and to be strong in our mind. We’re away from home for a second consecutive period,” he added.
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