Mauricio Pochettino claims he is under just as much pressure as Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho

Mauricio Pochettino believes that he is under just as much pressure as Jose Mourinho, as he prepares to take his Tottenham side to Old Trafford on Monday evening.

Spurs face Manchester United at what already feels like a hinge point for United’s season, after last weekend’s 3-2 defeat at Brighton and Hove Albion, and the deteriorating relationship between Mourinho and his employers.

There is more focus on Mourinho than ever before, especially speculation over whether he is due to lead United into another ‘Mourinho Season’, like when he was sacked from Chelsea three years ago.

But when Pochettino was asked at his press conference whether Mourinho was under more pressure than he was, Pochettino replied that that pressure was universal in the Premier League, and that all managers found it “impossible to relax” in this line of work.

“You don't believe I'm not in the same position? We feel the pressure every week. Of course the circumstances are different, but every game you play you're under pressure. And if you lose or don't perform as you expect the pressure touches you.

“We are always under pressure. It's impossible to relax. I am only relaxed in summer when I spent a week with family and friends.”

For Pochettino, the exposure and pressure has been the same in the three managerial jobs he has held. That is why he does not believe that any particular top-flight job is harder than another. “At Tottenham, Southampton, Espanyol the people are judging you, talking about your decisions,” Pochettino said.

“When you win, all the people know you were so good. When you lose all the people know the manager was wrong. In the Premier League clubs, we're so exposed to you and the fans.

“In all the clubs you feel a similar pressure. I was never Manchester United manager, but I promise you it was similar at Southampton and Espanyol.”

Going into Monday’s game, Pochettino said that his job is to convince the Spurs players that they can win or even score at a ground where they have lost every game under Pochettino. “In football, if you don’t believe, you lose before you arrive,” Pochettino said. “We are confident, just like we were confident in the last four years.

“Trust in yourself and in your team, believe you can win, that is always the most important. Then you can focus on aspects of the game. But the most important is your mentality, and the way you approach the game. In our minds, we need to go there and believe we can win.”