Hugo Lloris believes Tottenham Hotspur have no margin for error if they wish to qualify for the next season’s Champions League.
The club find themselves seven points behind rivals Chelsea who currently occupy fourth place in the Premier League table.
Making up the seven-point deficit on Frank Lampard’s side over nine games will certainly not be an easy task and Lloris revealed that the squad is under no illusion about how difficult the challenge ahead will be.
Spurs could potentially sneak into the Champions League even if they finish fifth if Manchester City’s ban by UEFA is upheld or reduced to one year.
However, the Tottenham number one insisted that the players are focused on getting into the top four.
He told Football.London: “We have to be honest, we are not in a good position at the moment. Four points to Manchester United, seven points to Chelsea. We don’t have the right to lose games.
“Even more when you face a direct opponent like Manchester United. We are going to start again with a very important game, maybe a decisive game for the future.
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“Even if behind this game there are eight games to play this game is going to count in the balance.”
“This time has given the time to all teams to recover the players who were injured. It gives time to reach a good level of fitness and to be ready for competition.
“Even four weeks without training will not help but it’s not been the case here.
“We don’t know about the decision for Man City, but we just want to finish as high as possibly can.
“Honestly, to finish strong the season will help us to prepare the next one, because there is a lot to do, a lot to work on to improve under our new manager and I think it’s the best way to prepare for the future.”
The goalkeeper believes that there is a lot to play for going into the final nine games of the season.
He added: “About the title, it’s almost done, but for the fourth place, or the fifth place, there will be a big battle and for the relegation, it will be an even bigger battle.
“There is a lot to win and to lose in these nine games. It’s the final sprint, you can win or lose everything.”
The Spurs captain insisted that qualification for the Champions League is the least that the squad expect after the levels that they have reached in the last few years.
When asked if qualifying for the tournament was crucial for the club from a financial standpoint, he responded: “That’s a question for the board, no? We are talking about the financial place and I don’t get all the tools to answer that question.
“I can only talk about the pitch and for us we want to be involved in the biggest competition and it’s the Champions League. When we start the season, it’s to compete against the top sides in England and to get the Champions League qualification.
“Even when I came to the club, the first two seasons we didn’t get this place, but I was always focused on that and this is my main target.
“This is the minimum we want to play for, for the Champions League. If we don’t get it, it will be a disappointment but we will have to react straight away for the next season.”
Spurs Web Opinion
While it will be a huge ask to make up a seven-point deficit over nine games, it is certainly far from impossible, particularly considering the fact that we have our injured stars back available. The opening game against Manchester United will be crucial as not only will be a face-off against a direct rival but a win could give us the momentum and confidence we need for the run-in.
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