‘The cycle of this Tottenham team is over… getting to the final papered over the cracks’: Jamie Carragher says Spurs must overhaul squad and consider replacing Mauricio Pochettino if they are to challenge for trophies
- Spurs have taken just 12 points out of a possible 27 in the Premier League
- Pochettino’s men were thrashed 7-2 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League
- Carragher feels ‘this cycle of this Tottenham team is over’ after slump in form
Jamie Carragher has warned that Tottenham must rebuild after suffering an alarming slump at the start of this season.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men have taken just 12 points out of a possible 27 in the Premier League despite beginning the season as title contenders.
And their hopes of reaching a second successive Champions League final were laid bare by a 7-2 thrashing by Bayern Munich in their first home group game.
Jamie Carragher says Tottenham must rebuild squad after disappointing start to the season
Speculation over Pochettino’s future at the club has escalated amid links with the hot seats at Manchester United and Real Madrid.
Carragher told Sky Sports: ‘I think the cycle of this Tottenham team is over.
‘Last season, getting to the final in some ways papered over the cracks. They lost 20 games last season. This team isn’t quite good enough to win the league or Champions League.
There has been mounting speculation over Mauricio Pochettino’s future at the club
‘It’s physical, mental, they’ve been together for so long but they’re not quite good enough. They’re just about qualifying for the Champions League, they’re not going to win the league or the Champions League.’
‘There’s a lack of intensity, mentality – just a drop off that makes me feel they’re not quite going to get where I thought they would get. I still think they have one of the best players in the Premier League, and in Europe.
‘I don’t think it’s downing tools. It reminds me of Gerard Houllier and Rafael Benitez for six years, they won trophies. For them, it was to try and win the league. We got to second and completely fell away, and it felt like it needed to be started again.
Tottenham have taken just 12 points out of a possible 27 in the Premier League this season
‘At Tottenham, it needs to be started again, either with a new manager, not because he’s not good enough, of course he’s good enough. But maybe just a different voice.
‘Or you go the other way and change this squad, because this squad should’ve been changed before now, the manager has been crying out for that. You have to point fingers at the chairman.
‘That team has been the same, it needs freshening enough.
‘They’re close but not quite. They need a Van Dijk/Alisson moment. They just never got that superstar so they could actually win something.’