Mauricio Pochettino insists he is under no pressure to deliver a trophy at Tottenham, with his remit merely to secure a top-four finish as rivals continue to splash the cash.
The Argentine is yet to win major silverware during his time in north London, despite overseeing Spurs’ transition into Premier League title contenders and Champions League regulars.
He was the only manager not to bolster his ranks during the summer transfer window of 2018 and is not expecting to be busy throughout January.
Instead, Pochettino is looking to keep Tottenham on track as they prepare to make a return to a redeveloped White Hart Lane – with that project having eaten up much of the club’s finances.
He said ahead of the first leg of a Carabao Cup semi-final clash with capital rivals Chelsea: “When Daniel Levy called me to offer a contract here, he was clear – him and owner Joe Lewis.
“They said: ‘Mauricio, you need to prepare and to help the club to arrive to the new stadium. When we finish the new stadium, in the first season at the new stadium, we need to have a team that can finish in the top four in the season after'.
“We are in advance of that, no? That is why sometimes I laugh when the people say we need to win a trophy.”
Pochettino has been forced to watch on as the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool have spent big in the transfer market, while Jose Mourinho was given £420 million in a little over two years before being relieved of his duties at Manchester United.
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With Spurs nowhere near matching that kind of outlay, talk of demands for success have been downplayed.
“If I had arrived at Tottenham and Daniel says you have £300m to spend, it is my responsibility to win,” added Pochettino.
“Come on, if I was to spend £300m and then say the project is to build step by step and be in the top four or maybe win something…. Come on, it’s not normal, this. When the club offers you the job they say what the club expects from you.
“If the club says to you ‘I want you to win the Champions League, the Premier League, the Carabao Cup', you say ‘OK, you want to win this and this and this? Can you give me this and this and this?'
“Yes? OK, then I need to deliver it and win.”
Pochettino has Spurs sat third in the Premier League table at present, six points adrift of leaders Liverpool while also progressing positively in the Carabao Cup, FA Cup and Champions League.