Mauricio Pochettino Casts Further Doubt Over Future After Refusing to Confirm Plans

Mauricio Pochettino has thrown his Tottenham Hotspur future into further doubt after referring once again to the possibility of the 'project' moving forward without his guidance. 

The Argentine first raised eyebrows following his side's 2-1 FA Cup semi-final defeat to Manchester United at Wembley Stadium last weekend; dangling the thought that he may not be at the helm next season by stating "with me or another" when discussing what lies ahead. 

And leading up to the north London outfit's home clash with Watford on Monday evening, when asked about his future, the 46-year-old again reverted to the possibility of him not being the one taking the club forward.

“After the disappointment of the result against Manchester United, I was very honest to tell you that we create a philosophy and a project for the long term and trying to be different to other clubs," Pochettino said, as quoted by the Mirror.

“I wanted to say [with his post semi-final comments] that the club is not going to change. If I stay here for three years more, after three years the project will not change. The most important thing now is that project we need to keep pushing.

“And, of course, we are frustrated about bad results. But we cannot change because the club cannot change. It cannot go ‘OK that is the project in Tottenham, and now we are going to do the same that Manchester United are doing now’.

“Tottenham needed, when we arrived here, to have a clear idea about discipline, rules, principles, a project to develop, to use young players…and that was how we created this project all together.

“Whether it is me or another, that is the right project to keep pushing, don’t be disappointed if we still don’t win a trophy.”

However, Pochettino also later suggested that it was not his decision whether he saw out the remainder of his £5.5m-a-year contract at Tottenham. 

“I still have three years contract here, so there’s no point to talk about that," he added.“I am not Wenger or Ferguson who decide about their own future. I decide only about the starting 11 in this football club.

"That is up to (chairman) Daniel (Levy), does he want to offer or not? Only he has the answer to that question. I am a person who is never going to ask to improve my salary or extend my contract or anything like this."