I’m sure privately Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino is quite pleased that Spurs continue to fly under the Premier League radar as whilst few talk about us as genuine title contenders in the season of 2018/19, it helps keep the pressure off the players and allows us to just go about our business in an efficient, if not spectacular fashion.
Having had one of our best ever starts to a Premier League campaign this year, Spurs haven’t been at their attractive, attacking best, but we have more than developed the knack of just doing ‘enough’ to be convincing and take the points and that’s epitomised by a return of 36 points from our opening 16 games. It could be slightly better as we are yet to draw a match and those points are what keeps us from the top two.
We are only five points behind Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side though, so it’s all to play for and publicly, Poch thinks it’s about time that perceptions changed.
Speaking to Sky Sports as our build up to the Burnley game this weekend continues, when asked the question as to whether we were in the hunt for the title, he answered.
“We are there, we are in a good position, but the perception is different. When you talk about the perception from the people or from the media, it is Manchester City and Liverpool – and not us. I am not happy with the perception, when they are not assessing it in the right way. I think when you assess different clubs, normally, it is Liverpool and Manchester City, Chelsea, United, Arsenal, who will be involved in the race for the title – but not Tottenham. But of course we are there, because we compete in a very good way, because our performances have been fantastic – and the perception is different.”
I’m all for being ignored, it makes it all the sweeter.