Tottenham exclusive: Mauricio Pochettino knows this season is a write off - Jermaine Jenas
TOTTENHAM boss Mauricio Pochettino has given up on winning the Premier League this season.
That’s according to former Spurs star and BT Sport pundit Jermaine Jenas, who believes Jose Mourinho has accepted Manchester City are on course for glory too.
Tottenham visit City this evening off the back of a six-match unbeaten run and three successive wins in all competitions.
They’re already a mammoth 18 points behind Pep Guardiola’s Premier League leaders though and sit fourth ahead of the Etihad clash.
Jenas reckons Pochettino will have written off the 2017/18 campaign from domestic perspective.
And he says Manchester United gaffer Mourinho is in a similar position, despite being seven points better off.
Related articles
I think this year has probably gone
"I think this year has probably gone," Jenas told Express Sport.
"If you look at what City are actually doing and what you need to them, how many games you need them to lose, you need to go on a ridiculous run. Tottenham, right now this season, don’t seem to have the capability to put that type of run together.
"I think it was this time last year when they did go on that ridiculous run of games that really kind of put them in the hunt to challenge Chelsea. Obviously, they fell short and fell short the season before [in the title race] against Leicester.
"It’s gone, I think. When I look at the managers, Mauricio, Jose [Mourinho], they kind of know. They’re living in hope that Man City will drop points."
Jenas believes City will see their 15-game winning run ended at some point.
GETTY
BT SPORT
He can’t see them slipping up sufficiently to open the title race back up though.
"I still think Man City will, at some point, drop points," he added.
"The games where I’ve watched them at the Etihad, as good as they’ve been, teams have come close to figuring them out. Especially in the Champions League, teams have gone there and played very well and been very unlucky to come away with nothing at all.
"It’s a matter of time before they drop one or two points, but to ask them to lose three or four on the spin is a bit of a dream."
Tottenham cannot end the weekend higher than fourth due to London rivals Chelsea being four points ahead of them.
Watch Manchester City v Spurs live on BT Sport 1 on Saturday 16th December from 5pm. BT Sport is where the best in sport go head to head, bringing you live coverage of the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and the Emirates FA Cup. For more information, visit www.BT.com/sport
