Mauricio Pochettino said he understands fans can't make every single game after less than 24,000 supporters turned up to watch Tottenham's 1-0 EFL Cup win over Barnsley.
Spurs had Dele Alli to thank after his 65th minute goal saw them safely through on an evening when the Championship side put in an impressive defensive display, frustrating the hosts and denying them a shot on target for just over an hour.
Pochettino insisted in the build-up to the Third Round tie that, while a league or European title is the main aim at Spurs, he and his team would be treating the League Cup as they would any other competition this season.
That attitude, however, was not shared by the fans. The official attendance was 23,926, with just under 3,500 Barnsley fans making the 340-mile round trip to the capital.
Speaking after their second home win of the season, Pochettino said that the turnout did not concern him.
“No I understand,” he said.
“I have to say thank you to the fans that were here and others it maybe wasn’t possible to arrive.
In Pictures | EFL Cup Third Round
“I understand that it is so difficult for the fans sometimes to come to every single game but [I have] to say thank you to our fans because I know that they are behind us and always translate their support.”
It was never going to be a sell-out at the 90,000-capacity national stadium, in truth few Spurs games this season will be, however with tickets starting at £5 for children and £10 for adults the attendance will have been disheartening.
