Mauricio Pochettino warns Tottenham not to become 'victims' of stadium delay: 'The only way to succeed is to fight'

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Dan Kilpatrick @Dan_KP31 August 2018

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino believes the club's stadium troubles have forced his players to develop a stronger and more positive mindset.

Spurs' new stadium has been delayed until November at the earliest and they are currently playing their home matches at Wembley, where they spent the whole of last season.

The club has also requested special dispensation from the EFL board to play the Carabao Cup third-round home match against Watford at Stadium MK, the home of MK Dons, because the national stadium is unavailable for the fixture.

Since leaving White Hart Lane at the end of the 2016-17 season, Spurs have won at Stamford Bridge for the first time in 28 years and they earned a first win under Pochettino at Old Trafford on Monday.

In Pictures | New Tottenham stadium opens for first time

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Pochettino says the club learning to fight against adversity and warned that his team would lose matches as soon as they become "victims of the circumstances".

"If we are going to be a victim of the circumstances, we are going to lose," he said. "The only way to succeed is to fight. And success is such a thin line. You can be on one or the other side. But if you are a victim, 100 per cent you are going to lose. And I don't like to be a victim. I don't like to victimise ourselves. If something wrong happens in my side, it's my responsibility.

"We are so positive in our approach to everything that happens," he added. "We are working a lot on being positive rather than being negative on the new things that appear. That is a massive improvement for us.

"We are going to play in another different venue – it's a challenge for us. Come on! We can show that we can be strong, that we can perform. Again, if people think there is a problem and we find a solution, we are stronger. The difference this season is that we try to challenge everyone and to show that we can fight with all the problems."

Pochettino added that he hoped his players would adopt the same positive outlook when they are not picked for the team.

He said: "I always try to explain to the players – when the players are disappointed that they do not play, the first thing that they need to do is to sit in front of the mirror and not always to complain – 'this guy is the guilty one, you are the guilty one'. No!

"The manager always wants to win and tries to select the best players to win. Wrong, sometimes. Right, sometimes. But we are professional about that and we are here sitting, like you are sitting there because you are professional, doing your jobs, like we are doing ours."

Lucas Moura scored twice in Monday's 3-0 win at Manchester United to make it three goals in as many appearances this season and he is expected to lead the line again in Sunday's match at Watford.

The Brazilian barely played last season after arriving for £25million from Paris Saint-Germain in January but Pochettino says he is now a completely different player to the one who struggled to adapt initially.

"Last season he struggled a lot to adapt himself," Pochettino said.

"All his career was playing on the right. He’s a winger but this season we tried to adapt him because in different circumstances to adapt him in a position that can bring performances and help the team. It’s a new position to play next to Harry like a second striker.

AP

"Of course, when he arrived from PSG he was a completely different player from today because he was in a different from reality. Was it better? No. Different reality from us and, of course, if you don’t improve and change, and don’t work hard, it’s so difficult to fight for a position. Of course for the players who arrive in January, always it’s hard for them to adapt to a new system and everything that is new for them."

In an animated exchange with reporters, Pochettino also said he was baffled by focus on the futures of Toby Alderweireld, Mousa Dembele and Danny Rose, all of whom started at Old Trafford, despite looking likely to leave the club at the start of the summer.

PA

"Harry Kane is here, Dele Alli is here, [Victor] Wanyama is here, [Eric] Dier is here, [Fernando] Llorente is here, [Georges-Kevin] Nkoudou is here, [Toby] Alderweireld is here… what happened? I don’t understand why you focus only on some names," said Pochettino, when asked why the trio were still at the club.

"You are focusing on only three players. But they are part of the squad and I am going to use when I believe that they are better than another. If I believe that another player is better than them than I am going to play with different ones."

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