Mauricio Pochettino insists that it will not be easy for Aston Villa to gel after their summer spending ahead of their return to the Premier League.
Spurs' opening day opponents have spent £130million on 12 new players this summer as they prepare for life back in the top flight after a three-year absence.
But Tottenham boss Pochettino says that spending money does not necessarily spell success for newly-promoted clubs, citing the example of Fulham last season after the Whites spent more than £100million on new players following promotion from the Championship, only to be relegated back to the second tier.
And speaking ahead of his side's clash with Villa at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium tomorrow (Saturday), Pochettino has delivered his verdict on Spurs' opponents.
"Of course, Aston Villa have signed a lot of players, they are in the top three or four in the Premier League for how much they have spent, an amazing investment, but always it is not easy," he said, speaking at his pre-match press conference.
"Look what happened with Fulham last season and how much they invested. The most important for the coach is to have time to build the team. You invest a lot of money on players, but the most important thing is about making that work together.
"Look at us last season, no one believed in us, we didn’t sign or sell players, and the consequence is one of the best seasons in the club, and you never know. That is the most important example, we didn't sign and we got to the Champions League final. You never know, it is about creating that dynamic that is positive to try and work together in the best way."
However, Pochettino has backed Villa boss Dean Smith to do well in his first season in the Premier League, having guided Villa to promotion after taking charge midway through last season.
"Of course it is a question mark for everyone, but they need time to build. One thing is to have the numbers of players, the other thing is to perform like a team," he said.
"The manager is an excellent manager, who I know very well from Brentford when we played them. For sure, he is going to find a way to perform in the best way, but in the beginning of the season it is a question mark. We know it is different from pre-season when you start in the Premier League, but for us it is about focusing on ourselves and the areas we need to improve ourselves.
"They have come from the Championship and made a lot of changes, but we need to be concentrated and focused, because different things can happen during the game."
