Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino insists his team should be focusing on securing a top-four Premier League finish rather than aspiring for trophies.
Spurs were dumped out of the FA Cup on Sunday at the hands of Crystal Palace, succumbing to a disappointing 2-0 defeat at Selhurst Park.
Pochettino’s men have now exited two major competitions in the space of four days, having also been beaten by Chelsea last Thursday in a Carabao Cup semi-final.
Tottenham now have only the Champions League and the Premier League to play for, with little hope of winning either, which makes the possibility of another trophyless season for the club now almost a certainty.
Despite their recent cup woes, Pochettino sensationally dismissed the importance of silverware in his post-match comments at the weekend, stating that qualifying for next season’s Champions League should take precedence over any other goals.
“We are going to create a debate that to win a trophy is going to help the club,” he began, as per the Guardian. “I don’t agree with that. That only builds your ego.
“In reality, the most important thing is being consistently in the top four and playing in the Champions League. That is going to help the club to achieve the last step.
FULL-TIME: We’re unable to find a way back into the game and our @EmiratesFACup run comes to an end at Selhurst Park. pic.twitter.com/Ha8MxAUvFu
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 27, 2019
“The club is doing fantastically well. It’s so successful. In the last four or five years, we’ve been fighting in different ways to achieve what the club needs, to be in the level of Chelsea, United, City, Arsenal or Liverpool.
“People wish we could win some trophies. But, being realistic, we are a team not built to win titles still.”
Recent injuries to key players have already had a significant impact on Tottenham’s season, with Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Moussa Sissoko all forced to sit out last week’s crucial run of fixtures.
Son Heung-Min had also been absent due to serving in the Asian Cup with South Korea, but in a timely boost for Spurs, he is expected to return to the club in the next few days.
Pochettino must now galvanise his squad to the best of his ability or risk missing out on the top four spot he holds so dearly, while also falling short once again in Europe.
The Argentine head coach is in danger of being remembered for consistent failure in the most important fixtures and if his stance of silverware doesn’t change soon, then Spurs are likely in for plenty more heartbreak over the next few years.
