Pochettino: Spurs’ current struggles are “good for the future”

Tottenham Hotspur managed a 1-1 draw against Watford on Saturday at Vicarage Road, with Son Heung-Min’s goal canceling out a header from Christian Kabasele. Spurs also managed it while down a man after Davinson Sanchez was issued a straight red card for putting his forearm into the face of Richarlison ten minutes into the second half.

The result means Spurs have managed just six points from their past seven Premier League matches, and are now in sixth place in the table. Spurs haven’t won in the Premier League in nearly a month since a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace. After the match, however, Mauricio Pochettino told the media that Spurs’ struggles will pay dividends down the road as his team learns how to handle adversity.

"We deserved more. In the second half we played more than 40 minutes with one less and the team was brave and tried to win the game.

“I am happy. In the last few weeks we have been frustrated but the face the team showed today was good. Sometimes you need to feel that frustration and learn.

"It is important for us to change the feelings. We were disappointed after Leicester. We are in a period now that we suffered things against us. It is good for the group to try and learn. It is a long-term project. It will be good for the future. You want to win but in tough moments you learn."

It’s hard to take too much from an away match where Spurs finished with ten men. Tottenham had the advantage in expected goals and on another day might have gotten the win, but a red card like that completely changes the complexion of the game.

Pochettino may be right about struggles in November and December paying dividends in March and April, but it’s getting a bit hard to see that far ahead when Spurs are slipping down the table and putting in forgettable performances. Spurs are now looking like they are in for a fight for Champions League qualification next season, and will need to start picking up wins in the coming Christmas holiday fixtures in order to stay competitive with the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, and Chelsea.