Mauricio Pochettino uses West Ham as example to explain lack of progress at Tottenham

Add as preferred source on Google

Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United saw any chance of domestic cup success come to a shuddering halt at the weekend.

Out of the Carabao Cup, West Ham were humbled 4-2 away at League One basement boys AFC Wimbledon in the FA Cup fourth round.

Then Spurs were comfortably beaten 2-0 by Crystal Palace.

Tottenham still have the Champions League last 16 to focus on and securing qualification for the competition next year.

West Ham’s only remaining goal is to aim for a seventh place finish to secure Europa League football.

West Ham have not won a major trophy for nearly 40 years.

Pochettino compares Spurs struggles to West Ham

But for Tottenham the urgency for silverware is more acute. Many fans and pundits feel winning a first trophy in his tenure is vital to the long-term success of Tottenham.

With Manchester United and Real Madrid interested in acquiring Pochettino’s services, winning a trophy is about more than just furnishing the Tottenham trophy cabinet. It could be instrumental in keeping the Argentine at Tottenham.

Pre-empting the defeat at Palace, Pochettino has moved to explain Tottenham’s lack of progress in terms of silverware.

Speaking to Sky Sports the Spurs boss likened their situation to West Ham’s putting the blame on their stadium move.

Stadium move hurt West Ham’s progress like Spurs

“We are always close to the last step (to trophies) but to achieve it is the most difficult thing,” Pochettino told Sky Sports.

“At the moment, the team needed the last push, what happened? We build and build but then, White Hart Lane – gone.

“We moved to Wembley and there were all the doubts about how we are going to behave. There was the example of West Ham in their first season (at the London Stadium) and many things in this process that stopped the evolution of their team about to win.

“Remember, we were unbeaten in the Premier League at White Hart Lane in our last season there.

“Nobody said what it meant to move to Wembley to create another project and not only this – we were going to play only one season at Wembley, and now it’s nearly two seasons and no one says nothing.

“When Arsenal moved (to the Emirates), people talked about massive problems, they are still paying.”

Tottenham are clearly competing on a different level to West Ham under Pochettino.

Three years in but stadium move starting to pay off for West Ham

But West Ham fans will relate to his comments.

West Ham’s final season at their beloved Upton Park saw the club record their best ever Premier League points tally.

The Hammers finished just four points off the Champions League.

But the move to the London Stadium has been disruptive to the progress West Ham were making on the pitch.

Two seasons flirting with relegation look to be behind the Hammers now.

But Manuel Pellegrini’s side have little to play for other than the possibility of securing a Europa League spot.

Three years into the stadium move things are starting to settle down for the Hammers at the London Stadium.

West Ham have the second highest number of season ticket holders in the Premier League, the fourth highest attendances in Europe and will have the second highest capacity in the Premier League of 66,000 even after the stadium rebuild at Tottenham.

The increased revenue has started to bear fruit in the transfer market where West Ham splurged £100 million in the summer while Tottenham failed to make a single signing.