Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has hit out at media after his side suffered a 1-2 defeat in the hands of Inter Milan in their Champions League opener.
The north London club was on the verge of claiming a win at San Siro thanks to Christian Eriksen’s goal but the Italian side came from behind to snatch a late win. Mauro Icardi’s volley levelled the scores before Matias Vecino netted the winner in the stoppage time to deny Spurs an away point. The Lilly Whites registered three consecutive losses for the first time under Pochettino, who decided to leave Kieran Trippier and Toby Alderweireld at home.
Reporters wanted to know whether Poch regrets leaving the duo a question which seemed to anger him. He responded, “Against Watford and against Liverpool, they were on the pitch. Wow, what a question, such an easy question eh? You know, easy target. (It’s) easy to talk about the players that aren’t here. I think we need to talk about football. Because you know I think you force me to say something that is not good.”
He went on and said, “You disrespect the players that today showed better qualities than the opponent. Why disrespect the players that aren’t on the pitch? You can blame me and say, ‘Gaffer, you were so, so rubbish in your selection of the starting XI’. But please don’t disrespect the players who were playing, because it’s my decision. Kieran Trippier, Toby Alderweireld…. we have 25 players.”
“And you believe that and sometimes you behave like you ask me with your question, that you can play only 11 and the other 13 or 14 players are rubbish, are s***. Sorry, but I am so disappointed because I am a person that respects you a lot and the players. When my decision is to play with XI, you must respect my decision because I am the manager,” he said.
Spurs will be hoping to end their bad run when they play visitors to Brighton on Saturday 22nd in an English Premier League match.