'There's still a question mark' - Pochettino plays down Tottenham's title hopes

James Westwood

'There's still a question mark' - Pochettino plays down Tottenham's title hopes image

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has played down suggestions that his team could win the Premier League this season, despite overseeing five successive wins.

Spurs have emerged as genuine title contenders after moving ahead of Manchester City into second place on Boxing Day, just six points behind leaders Liverpool.

A resounding 5-0 win against Bournemouth at Wembley sent out an emphatic message to their rivals at the top of the table, but Pochettino is reluctant to get carried away by their recent progress.

The 46-year-old coach has urged his squad to prove that they can remain consistent over the course of the entire campaign, as they bid to end a decade-long trophy drought.

"I repeat like yesterday now I'm more relaxed I think the same," Pochettino told a press conference on Thursday. "We are in a very good position. I think we are in a position that the team deserves to be.

"But another thing is to be a real contender at the end of the season. We need to show that we can be consistent throughout the whole season. Manchester City have shown in the past they can be real contenders because they won the last Premier League and of course Liverpool made an unbelievable investment and they are doing well and they are at the top of the table.

"Of course these two teams are more realistic in thinking at the end of the season that they will be contenders.

"We need to show ourselves and everyone that we can be real contenders if we can be consistent during the whole season. We are there because we have the belief and we are working so hard and of course we have the quality, if not it's so difficult to be in the position we are today.

"There's still a question mark. We'll see if we are capable of being, through the whole season, consistent like in the first half of the season. Then in the end we can talk about fighting for big things."

Two days after facing off against Wolves, Spurs will make the trip to Cardiff City on New Year's day, while Liverpool face two huge fixtures against Arsenal and City over the same period.

If Pochettino's side can pick up maximum points there is every chance of them significantly cutting the Reds' lead at the top, but the Argentine tactician remains adamant that they are still a level below their title rivals.

"I think Manchester City and Liverpool today are showing that they are the best teams in England," he added. "The circumstances are that one is at the top and another is now in third but I still think nothing has changed. Until the end, everyone is going to think that Liverpool and City are above the rest of the teams."

 

James Westwood