Mauricio Pochettino has confessed that remaining competitive in the Premier League and Champions League takes priority for Tottenham Hotspur over a domestic cup run.
The Lilywhites, who have had a largely underwhelming start to the season, get their EFL Cup campaign up and running on Tuesday night with a home match against Championship outfit Barnsley.
Spurs have good memories of the EFL Cup, having gone all the way in 2008 to lift it for a fourth time, but Pochettino is not overly concerned with adding more silverware to the collection unless it comes in the 'big two' competitions.
"The project here at Tottenham is to try to win the Premier League or the Champions League. For me, that is the two big trophies," he told reporters. "OK, I would love to win the Carabao Cup or the FA Cup for our fans, but Tottenham must build a project with the possibility to fight for Champions League or Premier League.
"Sorry, first of all the Premier League and then the Champions League. If we are going to try to win Carabao Cup or FA Cup, and forget the Premier League or Champions [League], it's a big mistake. I think what it means for a big team to win trophies is to win the Premier League or Champions League.
"There are a lot of examples: in my second season at Southampton, Wigan won FA Cup. Where is Wigan today, with all my respect? League One. That is the most important example. Of course I would like to win trophies, but first of all we'll fight for the Premier League or the Champions League."
Pochettino has guided Tottenham to third and second-place finishes in the Premier League in the past two seasons.
Daniel Lewis
