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90min EXCLUSIVE: Hoddle Challenges Spurs to Win FA Cup Following Dismissive Pochettino Comments

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BT Sport pundit Glenn Hoddle has admitted he believes Tottenham to target winning trophies such as the FA Cup - in order to help convince some of their most valuable assets to stay at the club. 

Speaking exclusively to 90min, Hoddle stated that he feels his former side need some silverware in their cabinet in order to keep players such as Dele Alli and Harry Kane happy. He believes Spurs would be foolish to belittle the domestic cup competitions in order to finish in the top four over and over again. 

His comments come in reaction to Mauricio Pochettino's interview from earlier in the season that Spurs need to win only a "big trophy", such as the Premier League or Champions League. 

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Pochettino expressed to the Mail in August that while important, winning the FA Cup would mean "nothing" to him. He said at the time: "We need to push Tottenham. Sometimes there are a lot of comments that, 'Ok, now Tottenham need a trophy'. No, no, no, no. We need a big trophy. A big trophy is Premier League or Champions League.

"It would mean nothing for me to win the League Cup or the FA Cup even though they are important. For me, the principal reason I am here is to try to challenge for the Premier League and the Champions League, to compete in the best competition in the world."

Spurs play Newport County in an FA Cup fourth round replay on Wednesday night, after drawing the first game 1-1 at Rodney Parade, and are expected to play an under-strength side as they prepare to face Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

Hoddle said in reaction to Pochettino's comments: "I can't believe that he said that he's not interested in cup competitions. In my opinion Spurs need to get a platform, a bit of silverware will keep players there. Winning breeds winning, believe me.

"Success at Tottenham is not just about getting in the top four. For me, if you're going back in twenty years’ time as a player, they're not gonna turn round and say 'oh yeah, you were in that team that kept getting in the top four'.

Hoddle went on to say that modern football's visions of success are no longer purely trophy based, but encouraged Spurs to target the so called smaller competitions in order to kickstart a period of domination.

"You want to see a picture of somebody holding the cup up or running around Wembley, that's what success is about. I'm a little bit surprised that Spurs are not focusing (on the cup competitions). I think there's more focus on this FA Cup than people outside the club think. It breeds (winning), it's a foundation to go and be successful over a period of time, it really is." 

The 60-year-old referenced Chelsea's League Cup win over Liverpool back in 2005 under Jose Mourinho as an indicator for what success in a supposedly small cup competition can do for a club long term. 

After this victory, Chelsea went on to win two more domestic cups and two more league titles in addition to the one earned shortly after the League Cup success in Mourinho's debut season in England, and Hoddle has urged Spurs to follow suit whilst expressing his disappointment at the way Pochettino treated this season's Carabao Cup.

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"(Jose) Mourinho did it at Chelsea with the League Cup; he's done it at United with the League Cup. I was disappointed they (Spurs) went out so easily in the League Cup. I think Spurs' opportunity to get some silverware is gonna be in this FA Cup, and the League Cup but they chose to change the team completely against West Ham.

"It's important that there's silverware going into Tottenham.

"If they want to keep the players they need to keep, you know, the Harry Kanes, Dele Allis, (Toby) Alderweirelds, (Jan) Vertonghens. There's no better way of keeping players, seeing silverware and having that success as a team, having that feeling that you can go on now and do even more things together."

BT Sport is where the best in sport go head to head, bringing you live coverage of the Premier League, UEFA Champions League and Emirates FA Cup. For more information, visit www.BT.com/ sport

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