Pochettino was speaking recently in interviews, including on The Overlap, while discussing his Spurs tenure, the club’s financial and squad-building constraints, and how close they came to a major breakthrough without quite getting over the line. He also expressed sadness about Tottenham’s current struggles.
Pochettino said in an interview during The Overlap podcast:
“It’s really sad. I really love Tottenham, it’s always going to be an important part of my life, as a coach and person too,”
“Really sad because I know the people are suffering there, inside the club and the fans.”
“When I was there I tried to explain my vision. We were in a situation that was amazing because we finished the training ground, the stadium, we moved to Wembley to play. At the same time we were very competitive,”
“We were winning every season because with all the circumstances that we were fighting. We spent 18 months without one signing. That was a record in the Premier League.
“Tottenham can say: ‘We had money to spend’ … Yes, but not the type of money to improve, to be close to winning. We challenge to win, but we miss this last step.”
18 months without a signing: This occurred during a key period in his Spurs reign (roughly 2017–early 2018, around the time they reached the 2019 Champions League final). Pochettino called it a Premier League record at the time. The club relied heavily on the existing squad (including players like Harry Kane, Son Heung-min, Dele Alli, and Hugo Lloris) and academy/promoted talent, while focusing on stadium financing and infrastructure.
Money available but not transformative: Tottenham had some funds, but not the big-budget spending power of clubs like Manchester City, Chelsea, or later Liverpool under FSG’s model. Pochettino felt they could compete and challenge for titles/top spots but lacked the “last step” quality to push for consistent silverware.
Missed targets — Sadio Mané and Georginio Wijnaldum: These were players Pochettino specifically wanted. Both ended up at Liverpool instead (Mane in 2016, Wijnaldum in 2016), where they became key parts of Jürgen Klopp’s side that won the Champions League in 2019 (beating Tottenham in the final) and the Premier League in 2020. Pochettino noted they couldn’t get the deals done “for different reasons,” and the assessment of transfers was sometimes influenced by external voices rather than purely footballing ones inside the club.
Pochettino built a very competitive, high-pressing team on a relatively modest budget compared to their “Big Six” rivals. They finished in the top four multiple times, reached the 2019 Champions League final, and were known for developing young talent. However, the lack of investment in squad depth (especially after selling players like Kyle Walker, Toby Alderweireld’s age/injuries, and others) was a recurring criticism of chairman Daniel Levy’s approach at the time, prioritising the new stadium while the on-pitch squad stagnated.
Pochettino’s comments highlight a common theme in football: timing and squad reinforcement matter. Liverpool under Klopp invested smartly in players like Mané and Wijnaldum (and later others), which helped them overtake Spurs in the hierarchy.
It’s a nostalgic (and slightly pointed) reflection from Pochettino, who clearly believes that with those two signings or similar upgrades, Spurs might have gone further. Fans have mixed reactions — some defend Levy’s financial caution during the stadium build, others see it as a missed opportunity that let Liverpool pull ahead.
