‘Spurs almost as strong as Liverpool & Man City’ – Pochettino needs players to deliver, says Redknapp

Tottenham boast a squad to rival Liverpool and Manchester City, says Harry Redknapp, with Mauricio Pochettino currently being let down by those at his disposal.

The former Spurs boss does not buy into the belief that top managers can succeed at any club in any circumstances as, for him, coaches are there to guide the talent within their ranks.

In north London, there is plenty for Pochettino to work with but unwelcome distractions – such as expiring contracts and transfer speculation – have contributed to a slow start in 2019-20.

Redknapp believes those calling the shots need to get everybody pulling in the same direction again, with there enough potential at Tottenham to compete for major honours at home and abroad.

He told the Daily Mail: “They’ve got the best stadium in the country, the best training ground. It’s all in place.

“They’ve got a great group of players. It’s some squad, if you go through it, I don’t care what anybody says I don’t think there’s a lot between that squad and Liverpool’s and Man City’s squad, I really don’t.

“You’re as good as your players. Graham Taylor once said ‘your manager is never as good as you think he is and he’s never as bad as you think he is, he’s somewhere in between’ and that is football management. 

“If you put Pochettino, or you put Pep [Guardiola] or [Jurgen] Klopp and let them go and manage Brighton or manage Norwich or Sheffield United, they’re not going to go and put them in the top six, it doesn’t work that way. 

“It’s about the players. He (Pochettino) has got the good players but at the moment there’s been hiccups – one or two of them are not playing to their real potential or as good as they can.

“At the start of the year I really thought Spurs would push Man City and Liverpool a lot, lot closer. Tottenham have got a great team, with Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Son – I thought this could be their year. 

“But it’s been a disappointing start for them for sure and they need to turn it around quickly, but I still think they’ll finish third.”

On what Pochettino needs to do in order to get Spurs firing again, Redknapp added: “It’s his job now – it’s not about coaching or getting on the training pitch with systems and that – it’s about getting in their heads and convincing them how good they are again and getting a good spirit and atmosphere around the place and start winning some matches.”

Tottenham have taken only 11 points from eight games so far this season, but are still only three adrift of the top four and will be back in action on Saturday at home to Watford.