Former Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has claimed Mauricio Pochettino’s team was better two years ago than it is now.
Spurs slipped further off the pace in the Premier League title race when they drew 1-1 with Arsenal in the north London derby on Saturday, and it could have been worse but for Hugo Lloris’ late penalty save and a fine last-ditch challenge by Jan Vertonghen.
They have collected just one of the last nine points they have contested and Redknapp believes they are suffering from the loss of the injured Dele Alli, the departures of Kyle Walker and Mousa Dembele and an over-reliance on Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane.
He told BBC 5 Live’s Sportsweek programme: “I honestly think Tottenham were better two years ago when Kyle Walker was playing right-back and absolutely on fire, Danny Rose was in his pomp absolutely flying and Dembele was top drawer.
“They were absolutely incredible then. Rose has had his injuries and has not been quite the same, Walker obviously moved on and Dembele has moved on.
“But I’m sure they will regroup again in the summer, one or two, a little bit of tweaking and they will be strong again next year.”
Pochettino raised eyebrows last week when he suggested it could take up to 10 years to change the club’s mentality and establish them as potential title winners.
However Redknapp, who had almost four years at the helm between October 2008 and June 2012, said: “I don’t think it works that way. The mentality of who?
“Manchester City changed the mentality of winning the league by bringing in players that were good enough to win the league.
“There is no, ‘Oh, we’re Tottenham, we haven’t won the league since God knows when’. New players come in, it’s up to the manager then to deal with the players he’s got and if he’s got good enough players, there’s a strong mentality to win the league.
“If they bring in two or three outstanding players in the summer, certainly they will be challenging again next year, maybe good enough to win it next year if they get the right players in. But it’s all about the players they bring in.”
