Mauricio Pochettino Responds to Rumours He Could Quit Tottenham After Arsenal Clash
By Tom Gott
Mauricio Pochettino has dismissed rumours he could walk away from Tottenham after Sunday's north London derby clash with Arsenal, calling the stories 'stupid'.
Speculation began to grow on social media that the Argentine could resign from Spurs if they fall to defeat against Arsenal, given their poor form over the last few months.
However, speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the game (via football.london), Pochettino insisted there was no truth to the rumours, adding that he was delighted to see Spurs strengthen during the summer.
He said: "What I can say about that stupid rumour? After five years now I start the sixth and you know how we worked in the summer to try to rebuild and update because from [version] 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0 and now 6.0 MP software, you know.
"That stupidity can happen through some rumour sent into social media that creates a big problem that doesn't exist. I'm not going to walk away after the north London derby.
"I'm going to be here Monday, Tuesday...my plan is to travel - I'm not going to tell you where because I have some commitments - and then Friday again to London, meeting with Daniel [Levy], the weekend I think I'm going to watch some games live of national teams and Monday is preparing the week.
"I'm not this type of person who sends messages through social media."
Pochettino is a hugely popular figure at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but there have long been rumours that he was frustrated with life at the club. A perceived lack of spending was thought to be an issue, but Spurs finally spent heavily on the likes of Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso and Ryan Sessegnon this summer.
The hope was that the new additions would help Spurs take that next step in their pursuit of the Premier League title, but the inconsistent form which plagued the end to the previous campaign has persisted this season.
They beat Aston Villa before drawing with Manchester City and then losing to Newcastle United, leaving them with four points from their opening three games.