Tottenham manager’s comments about trophies in August look interesting

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Tottenham Hotspur might already be out of the running in two competitions.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino has had better weeks.

In the space of seven days, Spurs have squandered a two-goal lead against Olympiacos, lost at Leicester City to fall 10 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool and been beaten on penalties by a League Two club in their first Carabao Cup fixture of the season.

Yep, the Tottenham manager has definitely had better weeks – and now the pressure is really on.

Chairman Daniel Levy won’t be wielding the axe any time soon, but Pochettino must be questioning his own future in North London, especially after what he said last month.

The Lilywhites haven’t won a trophy in any of Pochettino’s five seasons in charge and here’s what the Argentine said via talkSPORT on August 10.

“For me, it is about winning some titles – the Carabao Cup, the FA Cup, the Premier League or the Champions League. If not, after last season’s final, to be again in the top four and reach the semi-final of the Carabao Cup, it is like, ‘Come on!’”

Thing is, two of those four have effectively been crossed off and now Pochettino must either win the FA Cup or Champions League to avoid a sixth successive trophy-less season.

It would be unfair to measure Pochettino’s success only by silverware, given that the club is a different animal to what it was when the former Southampton manager took over in 2014, but sooner or later he will have to deliver titles and, going by those comments, it seems like he would deem it ridiculous if they didn’t this time around.

And it would. Despite reaching the Champions League final last season, they lost 13 times in the Premier League, one less than Everton. Any progress on the continent is negated by regression domestically.

The good news is that Pochettino is an excellent manager and one who is capable of turning this slump around. Question is, is it already too late?

At this stage, winning the FA Cup and finishing in the top four would represent a decent season for Spurs, but that isn’t quite the next level after reaching the Champions League final and breaking your transfer record.