What must please Mauricio Pochettino, and what must worry Jürgen Klopp as Tottenham Hotspur prepare to visit Anfield on Saturday, is that there are more than four points between Spurs and Liverpool at the moment: there is also a credibility gap. That Liverpool should be on the wrong side of that gap even though “Spursy”, denoting incorrigible flimsiness, is a longstanding entry in the English football lexicon, is a tribute to Pochettino’s redefinition of Tottenham since taking over two and half years ago.
“That opinion makes us very proud because I think Tottenham deserve that respect,” said Pochettino when it was put to him after Saturday’s gradual suppression of Middlesbrough – not his most spectacular feat but a significant one – that his team are now regarded as serious title challengers, not just for this season but for years to come. “That motivates and inspires us to go forward and try to push on. I think we are building a very strong structure, a winning mentality and I think it’s not just the players to speak well of, it’s the whole club.”
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