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Stadium development not an excuse for Spurs – Pochettino

SoccerNews in General Soccer News 29 Dec 2017

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Mauricio Pochettino does not believe the redevelopment of White Hart Lane should be used as an excuse for Tottenham struggling to compete in the Premier League this season.

Spurs finished second behind Chelsea last term but sit fifth in the table after 20 matches, with a 21-point chasm separating Pochettino’s men from runaway leaders Manchester City.

Work on White Hart Lane means Spurs have moved to Wembley for a year, while the club’s activity in the last transfer window was restricted to the arrivals of Davinson Sanchez, Serge Aurier, Fernando Llorente and Juan Foyth.

The sales of Kyle Walker and Kevin Wimmer to Manchester City and Stoke City respectively helped the club to balance the books, with Spurs’ spending left in the shade by City and Manchester United in particular.

Pochettino accepted the stadium redevelopment has impacted Spurs’ finances but refused to blame it for his side having a below-par first half of the season, despite the record-breaking form of striker Harry Kane.

“To win titles it is about everything,” Pochettino told reporters on Friday ahead of Tuesday’s trip to Swansea City. “We have some stars here but it is about everyone. We are in a process, we are in the middle of the project.

“The moment we finish the new stadium and settle there, we finish the project here on the training ground, everything will be in place and then would be the time to say ‘now we will win the title’. 

“I feel the plan is to win when we move to the new stadium – and now it is not an excuse to try and compete. Only one team can win the Premier League, many teams that invest a lot of money but only one can win, like the Champions League and the FA Cup.

“To be fair and honest, now we are in the middle of the project. We want to win as we are ambitious, but we are going to try.”

Swansea raised eyebrows with the appointment of Carlos Carvalhal on Thursday, the former Sheffield Wednesday manager appointed after leaving Hillsborough on Christmas Eve.

Carvalhal’s Swansea bow will be against Watford on Saturday, with Pochettino set to be a keen spectator.

“In football, nothing surprises me after 45 years,” Pochettino said. “We will watch tomorrow in Watford and we start to see what he will bring to Swansea.

“We know him from Wednesday and we have some reference. I wish him all the best and for Swansea, but after January 2.”

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