Former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino continues to be proven right about the North Londoners as his comments resurfaced in the aftermath of yet another early European exit.
Spurs were eliminated from the Champions League by Italian giants AC Milan on Wednesday night following another underwhelming display. Antonio Conte’s side lost 1-0 in Italy thanks to Brahim Diaz’s strike before failing to find a route back into the tie when back on home soil.
Spurs’ European exit guarantees that the North London side will now endure a 15th season without silverware with just a place in the top four left to battle for between now and the end of the campaign. With supporters left to reflect on another difficult season, the words of ex-head coach Pochettino continue to ring in their ears.
Amid Spurs’ Champions League final defeat to Liverpool in 2019, the Argentine warned that the club needed more investment into their squad despite Daniel Levy ’s huge outlay on their new, glittering stadium.
“When you talk about Tottenham, everyone says you have an amazing house but you need to put in the furniture,” said Pochettino. “If you want to have a lovely house maybe you need better furniture.
“And it depends on your budget if you are going to spend money. We need to be respectful with teams like Manchester City or Liverpool who spend a lot of money. We are brave, we are clever, we are creative.
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“Now it’s about creating another chapter and to have the clear idea of how we are going to build that new project. We need to rebuild. It’s going to be painful.”
Tottenham could well be set to go through a version of a rebuild this summer - starting with manager Conte. The Italian is out of contract at the end of the campaign and has confirmed that discussions will be held regarding his future.
Speaking after the defeat to AC Milan, he said: “This is not the day to speak about my future.
“I have a contract with Tottenham and at the end of the season we will meet and make a decision. Since I started here I have said the same things – we need time and patience to build a solid foundation and improve the team. The club know very well what is my vision.”
Pochettino has been linked with potentially replacing Conte at the helm in what would be a hugely emotional return to North London. Whilst there are decisions to make over the hotseat, the playing squad could potentially look very different should Pochettino arrive with 12 players out of contract or seeing loans expire over the next 18 months.
Spurs will be aiming to get over their Champions League exit in the Premier League this weekend as they welcome Nottingham Forest to North London.
