Pochettino: Spurs can finish top four without a new striker signing

Stop me if you've heard this one before: Tottenham Hotspur don't really need to sign a striker in this window! Well, that's at least according to Mauricio Pochettino, who admits that while Spurs only have one "orthodox" striker on the radar, a back up to Harry Kane isn't vital for Spurs to succeed this season.

"There have been a lot of rumours since the beginning of the season.

"Our supporters need to understand that we have a project, and projects are different at different clubs. The market is very difficult in winter and our power is in the changing room, within the squad and the team.

"It's not about having one player more or one player less. It's important that if, in the end, we find the right player who can help us, he will come - but if he doesn't, it's not a big worry for me.

"I can understand people are concerned that we need one more striker, but we are very confident in following the same direction as the first half of the season."

This is the same sentiment we heard from Pochettino after the conclusion of this summer's transfer window, when Spurs failed to land Saido Berahino on deadline day. You can't deny that whatever Spurs are doing right now, it's working: Spurs have a decent hold on fourth place heading into tomorrow's crucial six-pointer against Leicester at White Hart Lane.

Poche's emphasis on team building is an important one. Club football is littered with examples of an otherwise good team derailed by the actions of just one s**thead in the changing room. For Poche, it's much more important to sign the RIGHT player than to sign ANY player to fill a need.

But that doesn't do anything to assuage the fears of antsy supporters who know that Spurs are one Harry Kane knee injury away from disaster. Spurs have been riding their luck thus far this season, but injuries will and do happen. If that injured player is Kane, or if he runs out of gas in the stretch run of the season after not being rotated adequately, Spurs' top four ambitions could take a major hit.

Poche's comments do not mean that Spurs aren't looking at striker targets in the January window – they most assuredly are. Instead, these comments seem like a pre-emptive strike at the possibility that Spurs may not get the striker they want when the window slams shut. Poche knows that the club needs another striker, and he knows the supporters know that. Unfortunately, coming out now and saying "Hey, we'll be okay even without an addition" may serve only to make Spurs fans more jittery.