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"The biggest concern right now is that Real Madrid want Pochettino" - Breen on Spurs

Former Ireland international Gary Breen joined Off the Ball on Saturday to cast his eye over this...
Newstalk
Newstalk

15.52 27 Oct 2018


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 "The biggest concern...

"The biggest concern right now is that Real Madrid want Pochettino" - Breen on Spurs

Newstalk
Newstalk

15.52 27 Oct 2018


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Former Ireland international Gary Breen joined Off the Ball on Saturday to cast his eye over this weekend's Premier League action.

Tottenham Hotspur and Man City is arguably the pick of the weekend's ties and Breen highlighted a few issues for the North London side - despite having their best ever start to a Premier League season.  

"I think they're further away from the Premier League title then they have been over the last 2/3 seasons because ultimately I think the team is weakened," he told Nathan. "There's no Kyle Walker anymore, the fact that Dembele is not the player he was.

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"I just feel, they've still got a brilliant team but they haven't gotten any better. Whereas, all the other teams have. Arsenal have improved, Chelsea have improved - obviously City and Liverpool have as well and this is the problem - they look like they've virtually stood still. 

"I agree with Pochettino saying it was a positive, in terms of they got some of their main players to sign contracts - there's a suggestion that Dele Alli will do so again.  

"I still believe it's very difficult to strengthen that starting 11 of Tottenham when everyone's fit. But, I've seen Tottenham a lot and they've shown a lot of character to grind results out because they struggle - really struggle to get that second goal to kill teams off. 

"We saw it at West Ham last week - we saw it at Cardiff a couple of weeks ago and they've paid for that inability to do that in Europe, which looks like a Champions League exit now.

"I think timing is so important in football and timing is going to be cruel on this Tottenham team. The very fact that they're building this brilliant new stadium at a time when they desperately needed to strengthen what was a brilliant team over the last couple of seasons to take them within grasp of that Premier League title - they haven't been able to do that - and I think that will be the main worry. 

"Having said that, I think the biggest concern right now is that Real Madrid want Pochettino. It's not a case now of just admiring glances - the job is his if he wants it. If he was to leave Tottenham right now - it would surpass anything in terms of Sol Campbell defecting to Arsenal - I think it would be an absolute disaster," he added.


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