Former Leeds United defender Danny Mills has praised Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino for not moaning about his charges playing in the Europa League on Thursdays.
Spurs, who beat Fiorentina 4-1 on aggregate to book their place in the Round of 16 of the Europa League in late February, lost 1-0 to West Ham in a vital Premier League game last night.
Managers in England are generally vocal about their side playing in the Europa League on Thursdays before taking the field for Premier League games three days later.
However, Pochettino has not grumbled about the midweek Europa League games, despite his side being on course for their first domestic league title since the 1960/61 campaign.
And Mills, who played for Leeds between 1999 and 2004, lauded Pochettino for his mindset, which is rare amongst managers of the Premier League clubs playing in the Europa League.
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“He's not once moaned about playing Thursday and Sunday, which no one else in this country ever seems to be able to cope with”, he said on the BBC's Final Score programme.
“And he says 'we're a young side, we're fit' – they want to play.
“If they had all won – and yes, Leicester picked up a point – but if all four teams had won, he would have gone – okay, carry on as normal, it's another game closer to the title.
“The fact that Leicester drew and the rest of them lost, it's just another game. One less game you've got to win the title, isn't it?”
Tottenham, who will play Borussia Dortmund in the next round of the Europa League, are currently three points behind leaders Leicester City in the Premier League.
