Mauricio Pochettino weighs in on all the newsworthy topics as Spurs make their final preparations before Arsenal come calling on Sunday.
The Argentine was asked about the difference between the run-in this season and last, but Pochettino has no intentions of dwelling on the past and is solely focussed on the remaining five games.
Asked whether knowing the Chelsea result will have an affect on his players prior to kick off, Pochettino reiterated how concentrated the team are on the task at hand.
As we’ve heard many times before, Pochettino isn’t too concerned about what it will mean for Spurs to finish above Arsenal for the first time in 22 years.
“No, for me it’s not a motivation,” Pochettino said without hesitation. “The motivation for me is to win, because it’s a derby and I know what it means to the players.”
Tottenham’s manager explained to the journalist who didn’t want to let the question go that his main goal is to improve the club’s standing on a yearly basis. He arrived in North London to ensure Spurs consistently fight for a top-four place. Now everyone is discussing Spurs’ title bid.
Excellent performances, consistently good results and overall team improvement are Pochettino’s principal concerns.
“We will achieve big things because the club is working very hard,” he said.
Pochettino didn’t quite understand the importance of the North London derby before arriving at Tottenham, but it didn’t take long for him to realize the magnitude of the rivalry. He now feels what supporters feel and is as invested in the tug-of-war as the rest of us.
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Christian Eriksen, whose man of the match performances against Crystal Palace and Chelsea in consecutive games has garnered frenzied media attention, has no ceiling to his potential, Pochettino said. But the gaffer reinforced that the collective is always more important than the individual, a belief the entire team has taken on board.
Pochettino, as it’s Spurs last North London derby at White Hart Lane, was asked whether Spurs have the psychological advantage.
“We are playing from the beginning of the season like it’s the last game at White Hart Lane….. You can feel that Sunday is a special game for everyone,” he said.
There are millions of people around the globe that couldn’t agree more, Mauricio.