Jurgen Klopp Agrees '100 Per Cent' with Mauricio Pochettino About Trophies
Mauricio Pochettino has found a supporter for his recent comments that finishing in the top four is more important than winning a trophy, in the form of Jurgen Klopp.
The Liverpool manager said, "I understand 100 per cent what Poch said," per David Lynch of the London Evening Standard.
Klopp's understanding comes from the harsh reality of modern football which the 51-year-old spelled out: "You need money for improving a football team, we cannot change that. It's not the only way but it's a big thing."
The imperative to spend is something hamstringing Tottenham Hotspur boss Pochettino. He saw his club fail to sign a single player in last summer's transfer window.
Pochettino's frustrations appeared to boil over on Sunday after the Lilywhites lost 2-0 to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup fourth round. It marked the second time in a matter of days Spurs were eliminated from a domestic cup competition after losing in the Carabao Cup semi-final on penalties to Chelsea.
Those defeats have increased the likelihood of Tottenham going a fifth season without a lifting a trophy on Pochettino's watch. He insisted winning silverware is far from his main priority:
Klopp explained why securing a lucrative place in the UEFA Champions League often occupies a manager's mind more than winning a Cup:
"From a club point of view, the best competition to win is the Premier League because then you are in the top four and you won a big thing. You want to win the other competitions but that doesn't guarantee you the money for the next year. That's why top four is so important.
"You should ask the owners much more about what they think about that. They would probably say 'yes, it's really important.'"
There's more than just a cold, hard bottom line to the thinking described by Klopp. As the Anfield chief pointed out, improving a squad over a number of years comes at a cost, with Champions League participation a vital part of footing the bill for recruitment.
It's a fine line to traverse, one perhaps tougher for Pochettino to balance than most. Spurs are still waiting on the building of a new stadium to be completed, a stadium sure to incur debt for the north London club.
Said debt is one more reason Pochettino will find it difficult to not only keep his talented squad together but to add to it.
Klopp hasn't had the same problem in recent years. In fact, his tenure has been defined by big-money purchases, including the world-record fee paid for a defender to sign centre-back Virgil van Dijk last January.
Liverpool followed Van Dijk's arrival by paying a record fee for a goalkeeper when Alisson Becker arrived from AS Roma last summer. They have been joined by midfielders Naby Keita and Fabinho, while previous buys Sadio Mane, Georgino Wijnaldum and Mohamed Salah were also acquired to improve the team now four points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Pochettino can only dream of levels of investment on this scale. Yet while he's being responsible to put fiscal concerns ahead of short-term success, Tottenham fans may trade in a few top-four finishes to see some trophies lifted for the first time since 2008.
Klopp sympathises with supporters and their need for visible, tangible achievements.
However, he also emphasised the need for clubs and managers to take a longer view: "I know for supporters it's different, and that they want silverware. But if one year you win silverware and next year you are eighth in the table, nobody likes that and nobody talks about the silverware from last year."
Pochettino won't find much support for his view, and he may not count Klopp as much of an ally. After all, the Liverpool boss is speaking from a position of strength, having been able to spend to get the team he wants.
Klopp's words may also be motivated, at least in part, by the German's own personal trophy drought. He last claimed silverware with Borussia Dortmund when the Bundesliga side won the German Super Cup ahead of the 2014/15 campaign.
Pochettino's challenge remains the same, mainly the need to juggle financial restraints his rivals don't have, with the need to win the trophies Spurs' talent ought to yield.
It won't get any easier even after Klopp's endorsement.
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