Champions League: Pochettino knows quality needed

After three defeats in five games, Spurs are now third in Group E and can not overhaul Bayer Leverkusen in second. But remember last season, we played Dortmund [in the round-of-16] and we struggled a bit, that level was like the Champions League.

“Going away to Monaco, we thought we would at least get a point there and hopefully win against Moscow and things would be different”.

Kenny Cunningham believes Tottenham players looked exhausted and lethargic as they exited the Champions League at the group stage with one game to spare.

“We got ourselves back in the game at 1-1 and it’s just a schoolboy error to concede straight after that”.

“It took the stuffing out of us and obviously we didn’t have enough to get back in the game”.

“It can be frustrating we are not in the Champions League, but it is good for the club to be in the Europa League and go further in the competition”, Pochettino said.

Oddly, the Mirror adds that they have no intention of changing their plans for next season, where they intend to play all of their home games across every competition at the national stadium while White Hart Lane undergoes redevelopment.

“After we lost the first goal we came back with the penalty but it is hard to understand how we conceded the (second) goal”, Pochettino said.

Spurs crashed out of the Champions League with one game remaining as a 2-1 defeat at Monaco sealed their fate.

Spurs’ hopes of progressing in Europe’s premier tournament were dashed after a 2-1 loss to Monaco left them three points adrift of Bayer Leverkusen, with whom they have an inferior head-to-head record.

Pochettino took risks himself – admitting after the game that the two defenders he removed to the bench, Kyle Walker and Jan Vertonghen, were not injured.

But Tuesday’s defeat to Monaco shows exactly why the term “Spursy” has been added to the 2016 OED.

The goal the hosts threatened arrived three minutes after the interval in simple fashion. However, Monaco hit back instantly as Lemar drilled his shot past Lloris after controlling a cross from the right – restoring their lead just 16 seconds from the kick-off.

“Double money spent, four times the wages not had Champions League this year at all, and not in top 5”.

Falcao and Sidibe then missed the target and Germain again came close after a pass from Bernardo Silva in midfield sent him through.

Ref: Björn Kuipers (Holland) Man of the match: Djibril Sidibe.