Tottenham Hotspur became the first ever Premier League club not to sign a single new player in the summer transfer window this year.
Naturally all the talk was about how Levy had failed to invest in the squad, and with every other rival spending money, Tottenham would fall behind in the race for the top four.
Fast forward to December and the words ‘Tottenham’ and ‘top four’ are not being used in the same sentence.
Why? Not because Spurs have fallen out of the race, but because nobody expects them to not finish in the top four now.
Pochettino has guided Tottenham to second place in the League, the last 16 of the Champions League, and the League Cup semi-final, all without spending a penny this year.
So, what was previously treated as a negative but Tottenham doubters has suddenly become a huge positive.
The talk is now about how a settled squad has given Spurs the edge over their rivals.
MORE SPURS STORIES
Poch said (Football London): “Yes, because we are getting the results we got that [keeping same players] is positive. It’s so unfair to say it’s a positive, because nobody believed in us. Always people were talking about how important it is to regenerate the squad, to improve the squad.
“But of course I think in the last four seasons we’ve moved and changed from different situations. Of course in the last two seasons we haven’t changed too much but then if we get good results like we have today people are going to talk very positively. But if we should be in a different position sure that it’s going to be people saying negative things about our decisions in the past.
“Look sometimes it’s so unfair to talk about football because it depends on the results and sometimes the line is so thin. In one negative and positive, the perception can change completely. That’s why we’re so calm and so relaxed. We need to be relaxed and calm and so focused.
“We need to be humble and we need to fight how we are fighting, trying to achieve all that we want. Of course we have a massive belief. We have faith in the way that we play and how we are doing the thing, but there’s still a long way until we finish the season.
“We need to enjoy in the same time, because this type of moment in clubs like Tottenham don’t happen often. But I think today being involved in the Champions League last 16, the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup and second in the table, and of course starting in January in the FA Cup, four competitions to play ahead, I think it’s time to be focused but enjoy too.”
Keep up to date with all the latest Tottenham news and opinion by following SpursWeb’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
