Pochettino questions whether Tottenham is ready to win trophies
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino admitted his club is not in a position to challenge for trophies just yet and that patience is necessary from Spurs supporters over the next few years.
The north London outfit dropped out of the Champions League group stage in December and offered little consolation in the Europa League, falling to Gent on aggregate in the Round of 32 last Thursday. Much of that has to do with Tottenham's poor form at Wembley, its temporary European home where it won just one of the season's four intercontinental matchups.
Pochettino's side came close to the Premier League title last campaign, only to stumble on the final few laps of the race with Leicester City. Draws with Chelsea and West Brom effectively ended Spurs' bid for a first top-flight crown in 55 years.
In fact, Tottenham has yet to collect any significant silverware since 2007-08, when it piped Chelsea to win the Football League Cup final.
The construction of a new £400-million, 61,000-capacity stadium adjacent to the club's current home at White Hart Lane promises a grander future, with the opening date set for the 2018-19 season.
But Pochettino is aware success may have to wait until then.
"We have pushed the expectations higher because last season we were there - second, third in the league - and that is good. But my question is maybe we are not ready (in terms of winning trophies)," said the Argentine, according to the Guardian's David Hytner.
"It's like the stadium: if we want to move today, we are not ready to play there. We need to wait, to build the foundations. It's always a problem, to be patient, to arrive.
"The important thing is the club. Our chairman has built the foundation - new facilities on the training ground, a new stadium to help to be a better team and a bigger club. We are on the way to building one of the best clubs in Europe.
"But we must be patient."
Tottenham has already re-signed several of its star players to long-term contracts, a long list including Harry Kane, Dele Alli, and Hugo Lloris.
Pochettino, however, says he has to make more signings to compete with the game's elite.
"It's always about improving. We must add quality to the team if we want to fight for big things," he said. "And we will try. It's our job to find the right profile and player that can play for us."