"They get criticised both ways" - Sky Sports pundit leaps to Tottenham's defence

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Gary Neville has praised Tottenham for what they have achieved in recent years and suggested they have been unfairly criticised of late.

What did he say?

Tottenham have come under fire recently due to their bad run of form, with some suggesting that the players’ unhappiness with Mauricio Pochettino’s training regime has created unrest and contributed to their downfall.

However, considering the comparative transfer budgets and wage structures between Spurs and the rest of the top six, it is fair to say that they have overachieved in the last few years, albeit without winning a trophy.

As a result, Neville is choosing to look at the bigger picture, and doesn’t believe a few poor results should create media hysteria over the way Spurs approach their wage structure.

Speaking on Sky Sports’ Super Sunday, he said:

“This team has eight times in the last ten seasons finished above Liverpool, it’s got to a Champions League final, it’s been run really well for quite a long time. They’ve played so well for four or five years this team.

“I don’t think they can go and pay the wages or wouldn’t pay the wages and that’s a decision that they’ve made as a football club and I don’t think we can sit here and criticise it.

“They either keep the players and let them run their contracts down or they cash in, they get criticised both ways.”

Breath of fresh air

Although they were busy in their recruitment over the summer by usual standards, various players continue to be linked to the club as possible solutions to help them pick up their form, including the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Nathan Ferguson and Max Aarons.

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The chairman, Daniel Levy, brought in several multi-million-pound signings over the summer in Ryan Sessegnon, Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso [who is yet to join permanently] despite the huge cost of the new stadium.

The summer spending spree was something of an anomaly in the context of Spurs’ recent windows, but the club have remained competitive during a tedious financial balancing act period.

They have had a lot of joy from their academy, too, and Levy and Pochettino collectively took the club to the verge of European glory.

Neville suggests that the club shouldn’t be criticised for their wage structure and the manner in which they deal with players, and considering some of the astronomical salaries that are being paid, it is easy to understand why the Sky pundit sympathises with the refreshing approach.

from FootballFanCast.com https://ift.tt/32S9ouZ