Mauricio Pochettino: Gary Lineker insists Tottenham boss is ‘punching well above his weight’ at White Hart Lane

Mauricio Pochettino: Gary Lineker insists Tottenham boss is ‘punching well above his weight’ at White Hart Lane
Tottenham legend Gary Lineker insists Mauricio Pochettino is punching well above his weight at White Hart Lane and doesnt need to win a trophy to prove his credentials as a top-class manager.Speaking ahead of Spurs’ last-16 first-leg clash against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, the BT Sport presenter defended Pochettinos record and believes he has nothing to prove to anyone.4

BT Sport presenter Gary Lineker spoke exclusively to talkSPORT this week

“He doesnt need to win anything to be proclaimed as a terrific coach,” Lineker, who won the FA Cup with Spurs in 1991, told talkSPORT.Hes punching well above his weight in terms of how hes performed at that football club, that’s why he’s been linked with Manchester United.If he was manager of Manchester City or Liverpool then youd go ‘yeah, he needs to be winning things on a fairly regular basis.’Tottenham have got a good squad, but they havent got the strength in depth that City or Liverpool have.He continued: “(Pep) Guardiola had to wait until his second season to win his first trophy at City.4

The former Tottenham striker says Mauricio Pochettino doesn’t need to win a trophy to be proclaimed a success

On that basis does [Jurgen] Klopp need to win something this season? Yeah, probably.But at the same time [Liverpool] play great football, theyre ultra-competitive and serious challengers in two of the biggest competitions in world football, so you have to weigh all that up.Pochettino is not managing a huge club with massive budgets and expectations.Hes not bought a player for the last two windows, now. Some people have short memories.Spurs last piece of silverware came back in February 2008 when they won the League Cup at the expense of Chelsea.4

Lineker believes Pochettino is ‘punching well above his weight’ at Spurs

The north London side were recently dealt a double blow in their pursuit of that long-awaited trophy as they were knocked out of the Carabao Cup and FA Cup within a matter of days of each other.Despite that, Lineker says the clubs fan base must be realistic with their expectations of the squad, who he maintains are performing brilliant under tight constraints.He added: I think theyve done superbly. Theyve had a fair few injuries to contend with and yet again theyve proved to be strong contenders for the title.Theyve lost [Harry] Kane, [Heung-Min] Son, and [Dele] Alli in recent weeks.“They are big losses for any side in the world.4

Pochettino, left, has been tipped to become the next permanent Manchester United manager

Theyre obviously strapped for cash at the minute.“The stadium is obviously killing them in that respect, as they have to put everything into that in a financial sense.I know theyve been knocked out of two cup competitions in quick succession, but theyre only five points off Liverpool at the top now and theyre in the last 16 of the Champions League.So all things considered I think theyre doing really well, brilliant in fact.BT Sport brings you the moments that matter this season, with exclusively live coverage of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. Watch live on TV and via the award winning BT Sport App. For more info visitbt.com/sport

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