Mauricio Pochettino says Harry Kane’s disappointment after a World Cup in which he won the Golden Boot shows his winning mentality.
Kane, who captained England to the semifinals in Russia and finished as the tournament’s leading scorer with six goals, returned to training with Spurs on Monday.
But he had already visited Pochettino and expressed his displeasure with his performances for the Three Lions.
“He’s very disappointed about his World Cup,” said Pochettino. “He arrived back in London [from Russia] on the Sunday, and on the Tuesday he was at the training ground, spending five hours with myself and Jesus [Perez].
“I congratulated him and he said ‘no gaffer I am really disappointed, I should have scored more goals.’ I said ‘but you won the Golden Boot.’ He said ‘yes, but gaffer I’m disappointed.’
“Being fourth and reaching the semifinals was not enough [for him]. I love, love, love this energy and desire — that it’s not enough to be fourth in the World Cup, it’s not enough to finish second or third or play in the Champions League.
“I love it when a player feels that desire and wants to come in and spend time with us after the World Cup. All the people praise him and he’s a big star, but Tuesday he was there sharing time with us. That is so very Harry.”
Pochettino shares Kane’s view that a third or fourth-place finish is not enough, and maintains that he is targeting the top prizes with Tottenham.
But the Argentine has reminded supporters that the club has invested heavily in its infrastructure, while many of Spurs’ rivals are using their cash primarily to strengthen their playing squads.
“If some people believe the manager of Tottenham doesn’t want trophies they are not right in their minds,” said Pochettino. “I am here to win. Another reality is to win and to have the argument about having the tools to win. That is different.
“Of course it is a massive success for the club to be in the Champions League for the third year in a row. But maybe that is not enough, or maybe we need to change certain things. For me, it is not enough.
“I want to challenge and fight until the end, or until that moment when my chairman Daniel Levy says to me ‘Mauricio, go home or find another project.’
“I feel responsible for this after four years with the club, to try to achieve what the fans want. Maybe our history and the reality is different, but the players are fighting and working so hard, and we are there.
“Maybe we didn’t deserve more for many reasons, but of course to compete at that level and challenge the big sides that are only focused on improving their teams, while the reality for us has been improving our facilities — building the training ground and new stadium — I think it is not fair to compare us with these kinds of clubs, that are only focused on improving their squads.
“Can we win something this season? In football, all can happen. It will be tough because our opponents are at a level where every year they improve.
“For us, it’s always about keep pushing with different energy and different tools. Everything is different. We are competing in the same race but with a different car.”
Tagged with: betting news • football • footballnews • sport betting
