Monday, 27th October, 2014
Manchester United legend Gary Neville believes that Tottenham Hotspur are a mentally weak team and stated his belief that current boss Mauricio Pochettino may need three seasons to change the culture at the club.
Pochettino impressed with Southampton last term, but has struggled at White Hart Lane so far in the current campaign and Spurs slipped to a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United yesterday.
Tottenham were leading 1-0 when Newcastle scored from the kick-off in the second half, taking advantage of a Spurs side which had gone to sleep to equalise. They then scored again to secure all three points and inflict on Spurs a hammer blow.
Neville believes Spurs' defending was nothing less than appalling, telling Sky Sports' Monday Night Football: "When I think of Pochettino at Southampton, a team that always seemed ready, they were always alert. You never thought you could catch them out, certainly not with what I'd call basic tactics like this [Newcastle move].
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"And yet when you talk about typical Tottenham, he's got to affect the culture at that football club and it runs right the way through it.
"This is a coach who had a bright team, an alert team last season. He's got to affect the culture at this football club."
Neville, who regularly came face to face with Tottenham during his time at Manchester United, believes the White Hart Lane outfit have long been weak mentally and have often paid for it. And there is no quick fix.
"It's [the defending against Newcastle] what I think of Tottenham historically, never ready, weak, weak up here [in the head], and they have to change that culture.
"I think Pochettino needs to be given two or three years to run amok through that club to get rid of that type of attitude", the former defender added.
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