Former Tottenham captain Jamie Redknapp has revealed the moment he knew trouble was brewing at his old club.
Boss Mauricio Pochettino is currently enduring one of the toughest periods in his five year reign with the north London club.
Following the 7-2 thrashing at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Champions League last week, Spurs were comfortably beaten 3-0 by Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon to extend their poor run of form on the road.
But despite the pressure increasing on the Argentine, Redknapp, writing in the Daily Mail, has issued a firm defence of Pochettino, believing the club's strict salary cap and lack of spending has held them back.
He wrote: "The moment I knew there was trouble on the horizon at Tottenham Hotspur was at the start of the season, when Mauricio Pochettino told us to refer to him as the 'coach' rather than the 'manager'.
"'I am not in charge and I know nothing about the situation of my players,' he said during their pre-season tour in July. 'The club needs to change my title and description. I am the boss deciding the strategic play, but in another area, I don't know. I feel like I am the coach.'
"This was Pochettino letting us all know that he was in the dark about transfers and contract talks — and that is wrong. Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is so lucky to have this man working for him.
"This is one of the best bosses in world football, and he should be backed like it, too.
"Levy is a brilliant businessman, but I can't help feeling Tottenham missed the opportunity of a lifetime two years ago. They were in a superb position, one from which they could have properly kicked on.
"Yet their strict salary cap and lack of spending has held them back. They have stood still while others have caught up. Arsenal used to look way behind their north London rivals but not anymore.
"The same goes for Chelsea and Leicester City, both of whom are now fighting with Spurs for a top-four finish.
"Treating Tottenham like a business rather than a football club is not right. That is not what it is about. Supporters don't buy tickets to go to that beautiful stadium because the numbers on the spreadsheets add up.
"Or because they know their wage bill is less than that of their rivals.
"They turn up to watch their team play together and win together. They want to see a side being competitive, fighting for the biggest trophies.
"Yes, you can be applauded for bringing in players on the cheap, but you also need to buy the big names.
"You need those ready made stars in your squad if you are to compete with the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool. Not only that, you need to pay them properly, too.
"Otherwise, players will refuse to sign contracts – as we have seen with Christian Eriksen and Co – and the squad will grow unsettled.
"All this has left Pochettino looking like a defeated man on that touchline.
"Levy has to take his share of the blame for the sorry situation they are in. A lot of fingers have been pointed at Poch but that's not right.
"Sacking the Argentine is not the answer. Spurs would only miss him when he's gone. It would be better to start backing him."
