Should Pochettino take the League Cup more seriously this season?

There is little wrong with aiming high – indeed the Latin phrase “audere est facere” (“to dare is to do”) is written in Tottenham’s DNA.

Spurs’ supporters would therefore have been pleased to hear on Friday that Mauricio Pochettino is aiming to win the Premier League or Champions League with the Lilywhites.

He has certainly taken the club closer to both of those goals. However, a number of fans may have been concerned by Pochettino’s seeming lack of interest in the domestic cup competitions.

Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s third-round League Cup tie against Barnsley, he said: “The project here at Tottenham is to try to win the Premier League or the Champions League. For me, that is the two big trophies.”

For Pochettino, it seems the luck involved in domestic cup draws makes the achievement of winning the competitions less impressive.

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“What I meant was I think for Tottenham or a big club, if we win a trophy like the Premier League or Champions League it’s a challenge,” he said. “Then to win the Carabao Cup or FA Cup it depends on the draw.

“It depends on many things that happen. I think the credit if you win a trophy like the Premier League or Champions League [is higher] because we are fighting with the best teams.

“Of course I would like to win the Carabao Cup or the FA Cup but I think it’s a completely different competition. Sometimes it’s fair, sometimes it’s not fair. It’s the draw or it depends on how you arrive at the end. I think the Premier League is the trophy that everyone wants to win.”

Asked about the importance of the experience when he led Spurs to the League Cup final against Chelsea in 2015, Pochettino again referenced the level of his team’s opponents in the earlier rounds, while suggesting the main positive was playing at Wembley – which is now the Lilywhites’ home ground for this season.

“Now we are playing every week at Wembley – all finals!” he said. “I think it was a good experience but if you review again how we arrived to play the final against Chelsea, the semi-final was against Sheffield United, the quarter-final was against Newcastle and before it was Nottingham Forest.

“Yes, ok it was a great experience, fantastic. But I think today playing at Wembley every week, or now having two games there in just a few days, is an amazing experience for everyone.”

Pochettino will hardly be the only Premier League manager to rotate his squad tomorrow, but the concern is he will not adjust his approach if Spurs progress, and that a second-string line-up will eventually be outmatched. Last season an overly-weakened side featuring the likes of Tom Carroll, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Josh Onomah exited the competition against Liverpool in October.

By contrast, Jose Mourinho has recognised the value of the season’s first piece of silverware, winning the League Cup in his debut campaigns with both Chelsea in 2005 and Manchester United in 2016, while also triumphing in 2007 and 2015.

After lifting the cup with United back in February, Mourinho described it as “a major trophy” and “something in hand”. His side went on to win the Europa League too.

There is an argument that success breeds success; that the experience of lifting trophies (even supposedly minor ones) makes it easier to do so again and eventually win the biggest prizes. Pochettino, it seems, may be trying to skip that step.

When Mourinho’s approach to the League Cup was put to him, the Argentinian replied: “I don’t know. I think for us in this period to establish the team maybe fighting for the Premier League and the top four is our challenge.”

That ultimate aim is laudable, but Spurs’ manager should be wary of being too picky when the trophy cupboard has been bare since 2008 and when his current players have nothing tangible to show for their efforts.

That was one of Danny Rose’s concerns in his infamous newspaper interview last month: “Time is running out and I do want to win trophies,” said the left-back. “I don’t want to play football for 15 years and not have one trophy or one medal.”

As the tournament develops, it would be heartening to see Pochettino taking the League Cup seriously. It would be folly if, having taken Spurs to the level where they ought to be major contenders for the trophy, he disregards it.

But, tomorrow at least, there is merit in his intention to rest senior players against Barnsley. Granted, it means taking a risk but there is no better opportunity to rest senior stars at a busy time, at home against a side lying 20th in the Championship. As Pochettino has said himself, if not now then when?

It is important to keep squad men fit, involved and motivated, while such outings give Pochettino an early chance to see who can be trusted to make a step up when necessary – including some of his youngsters.

He has already stated that 17-year-old midfielder Tashan Oakley-Boothe will be in the squad, and 19-year-old summer signing Juan Foyth is in line for his debut.

“Yes – in the end I’ll be telling you the whole team!” said Pochettino, when asked if Foyth could feature. “Juan is so young, he’s 19 but I think he deserves to play.

“With Davinson [Sanchez], Toby [Alderweireld] and Jan [Vertonghen] playing a lot, it’s a good chance for him to play. It’s a good game for him to start to compete because he’s young but he’s qualified to start to play.

“It’s the same as Cameron [Carter-Vickers] last year. Cameron now is playing in the Championship [with Sheffield United]. He’s scored and is doing well there.

“For Juan it’s the same – to play, to compete and feel the new country, the new culture and Wembley, I think it’s so important, and for the team to know him too. It’s one thing to play here in the training sessions, another is when you compete. It’s completely different.”

With all of this in mind, Pochettino – who has also revealed Dele Alli will play – was concerned when Spurs’ third-round tie was initially due to be postponed until next month (a knock-on effect of Derby’s first-round encounter against Grimsby being abandoned).

“Yes, we were worried,” said Pochettino. “It’s important to understand that, after injuries or suspensions, you need a full squad and it’s good tomorrow to give some minutes to players like Harry Winks, who maybe needs to play, or [Fernando] Llorente.”

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