A potentially explosive situation was diffused around midday on Friday when Danny Rose displayed contrition for the interview which soured the mood around Tottenham just days before the Premier League kick-off.

While a few supporters may have welcomed Rose’s candour, which expressed many of their own concerns about the lack of signings so far, the majority saw his actions as treacherous and mutinous.

Of particular concern was the comment: “As with everyone else in my team, in my opinion, I am worth more than I am getting.”

It strikes to the heart of a long-term problem at Tottenham and the biggest fear – that ultimately, for players, it is all about money and that others could seek to follow in Kyle Walker’s footsteps by heading off to wealthier clubs.

It certainly put Mauricio Pochettino in a tricky position ahead of his first press conference of the season.

Sections of the fanbase were baying for blood and hoped their manager would express his own anger and disappointment.

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On the other hand, Rose is a key player when fit, and a public dressing-down might have added fuel to the fire, contributing to a negative atmosphere and prompting more questions right before the opening match of the campaign.



Rarely has a pre-match press conference been so eagerly anticipated as supporters waited to see how Pochettino would handle the situation. But, half an hour before it was due to start, Rose voiced his regret via his management company.

“Having had time to consider my actions, I acknowledge now that the timing and manner of what I said was ill-judged,” he said. “My words were not meant to offend and for that I would like to apologise to the chairman, manager, my team-mates and the fans.”

Rose did not recant the opinions that caused such angst, but his timely statement was enough to save Pochettino from some difficult questions when he spoke to reporters shortly afterwards, allowing him to draw a line under the incident.

It was clear he understood the seriousness of the issues at hand, and he showed his desire to choose his words carefully by speaking in Spanish at times, using his assistant Jesus Perez to interpret.

But crucially, when he was asked about the general issue of Spurs’ wage structure and it was queried whether some of Rose’s team-mates might feel similarly frustrated, Tottenham’s manager was able to point to his player’s apology and stress that there is harmony in his squad.

“I don’t understand why I have to answer this question because the player has [shown] regret and has apologised for what he said regarding everything,” said Pochettino.

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“If he apologised for what he said, we don’t know now if he is still thinking the same thing or not.

“I think the team are very united. You (the press) have access to the other players so you may have to ask them, whether it’s their opinion.

“I was so relaxed [in the last couple of days] because when you see the team and players, they are so focused, like we’ve been focused from the beginning of pre-season to challenge and try again to prepare ourselves to compete in a very tough league – I think the toughest league in the world.

“When you see the team so relaxed and so calm and focused on preparing for the game on Sunday, that is the most important thing for me to feel. If I feel that, why should I be nervous? I have no doubt about the team.”

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