for the first time in their history last season, is it right to ask whether it is time for Tottenham to deliver?

'We're the inspiration'

I'm not a person who avoids difficult situations - Pochettino

When he sat down to face the media for the first time on Tottenham's 10-day pre-season trip to Asia, manager Mauricio Pochettino responded to a question about whether his side could use Liverpool's improvement last season as an inspiration for the forthcoming campaign by saying the comparison was unfair.

He said clubs should use Tottenham as an inspiration for the way they have overcome seemingly overwhelming financial odds to finish in the top four for the past four seasons.

In fact, Spurs have not finished outside the top six for a decade. Manchester United and Chelsea have doneso once each. Liverpool have suffered the experience three times.

In the 2017-18 Deloitte Money League, Tottenham were sixth. They did record the biggest profits ever by a football club but their £380.7m turnover is roughly 64.5% that of Manchester United. Their £148m wage bill is the sixth highest in the Premier League but is dwarfed by Arsenal's £240m, which is the fifth.

"We are competing always with big sides who make an unbelievable investment," said Pochettino. "With us and our project and philosophy, we try to fight."

Are expectations around Spurs realistic?

The last time Tottenham won the league was in 1961 when they completed the double

Pochettino's critics point to a lack of trophies since the 47-year-old joined the club from Southampton in 2014.

Yet it is hardly the case that the