'Dangerous' - BBC pundit slams Pochettino for Tottenham attitude after Stoke win

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Published on:

11 Dec 2017, 2:25 am

Garth Crooks has slammed Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino for giving up on winning the Premier League title earlier this season, even though it is realistically well out of their reach.

Pochettino admitted after the 1-1 draw with West Brom at Wembley last month that the hopes of a league title for Spurs were dead and buried, something which Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger disagreed with when discussing his own side's chances of winning it.

After Tottenham's 5-1 hammering of Stoke at Wembley on Saturday, BBC Sport pundit Crooks blasted Potters boss Mark Hughes for his side's inept display but has also reserved a warning for Pochettino about his attitude going into games.

"I have made my feelings known about Stoke City's performance and their manager very clear. However Tottenham's manager Mauricio Pochettino also needs to take note," former Spurs player Crooks said on the BBC Sport website.

"Arsene Wenger took a swipe at Pochettino recently claiming the Tottenham manager may have given up on the Premier League title but the Arsenal manager had not.

"Such statements by the Spurs boss are dangerous. If you are not chasing the Premier League title, then what exactly are you chasing and what are you telling your players before matches?"

Pochettino's admission about the title race being over is more out of realism that trying to keep his team going this season.

Spurs are sitting sixth in the Premier League table with 28 points while Manchester City lead the way with 46 points and are yet to taste defeat, so it is understandable why Pochettino would say that his side's hopes are over with an 18 point gap.

The North London side are also competing on other fronts with the FA Cup and Champions League both competitions that Pochettino may be aiming to lift come the end of the campaign.

In other Tottenham news, Spurs fans tore this defender to shreds for his performance against Stoke.

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Tottenham Hotspur

Mauricio Pochettino

Garth Crooks