Pochettino happy at Tottenham despite Barcelona links

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino admits that he is content with the north London side despite his insistence that his current gig is "not easy."

One dire result and the naysayers are calling for your head.

Such are the perils of managing, and after Luis Enrique's Barcelona was butchered 4-0 at Paris Saint-Germain, there's talk of an exit for the Catalan gaffer.

Naturally, Pochettino, one of the rising stars of football management, has been linked with a return to the city where he enjoyed two spells as a centre-half.

Pochettino spent more than a decade in the Catalan capital playing with and managing Espanyol, and ahead of a Europa League clash with Belgians Gent, the Argentine was pressed about talk of a move to the Camp Nou.

"I can't say anything about (managing Barcelona)," Pochettino told reporters in Belgium, courtesy of ESPN FC. "I'm at Tottenham. I am very happy, (I have) four more years of my contract, enjoying an exciting project. It's true it's not an easy project, but I'm very happy here."

Not an easy project indeed, especially after a 2-0 defeat at Liverpool saw the Spurs' title chances narrow. Even so, Pochettino adds that the fate of his colleague Enrique during Barca's visit to the Parc des Princes serves as a reminder.

"It's important to be focused on the game tomorrow. (Barcelona's defeat) yesterday was a good lesson for all because, if you are not ready to fight at that level, when you compete with a top five or six in the Premier League, Europa League or Champions League, it's a very similar level ... the first thing you need to show on the pitch is you are ready to fight and compete. But the question is about being focused tomorrow.

"In football, sometimes that happens and you can't explain why. Look at Barcelona yesterday in the last 16. Sometimes you don't have a good day, a good night, and that happens."

After signing a May 2016 extension that will see Pochettino tied to Tottenham until 2021, and with a young core including the likes of Harry Kane and Dele Alli, the 44-year-old may not find a better opportunity than the one he has now.