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Mauricio Pochettino has dismissed suggestions that Tottenham Hotspur are too inexperienced to win the Premier League title. Third-place Spurs boast the youngest squad in the Premier League, with an average age of just over 23, and Pochettino has claimed that his Spurs squad has the "perfect mix" of youth and experience. The Argentine has put huge faith in the likes of Dele Alli, 19, Eric Dier, 21, and Harry Kane, 22, but Pochettino's team also has an experienced spine, with captain Hugo Lloris, 29, Toby Alderweireld, 26, Jan Vertonghen, 28, and Mousa Dembele, 28, all having played at the last World Cup. Alan Hansen's timeworn claim that 'you can't win anything with kids' was proven wrong by Manchester United but -- although there is a similar feel to this Tottenham side as United's legendary 'Class of '92' -- Sol Campbell is among many high-profile pundits who believe the current Spurs crop lacks the know-how to go the distance. However, Pochettino, who has previously played down Spurs' chances of claiming a maiden Premier League crown this season, believes Tottenham's balance is just right. When asked if younger players are more fearless, the Spurs coach told a news conference: "Not less fear -- I think that if you have hunger, and you have energy, and you have potential, and show that you have enough quality, it is perfect. "You also need to have some good teammates, who give you good advice. I remember, because I was 18 years old when I won my first title with Newell's Old Boys. Although there are a lot of factors in football, if you have good balance between younger and experienced players it is a perfect mix to try to achieve big things." Under legendary coach Marcelo Bielsa, Pochettino won two league titles with Argentine club Newell's -- the Aperturain 1990 and the Clausura in 1992. Pochettino is widely-believed to be a disciple of Bielsa -- although he has rejected comparisons with the former Argentina and Chile boss in the past -- and the 43-year-old sees similarities between Bielsa's Newell's team and his own in N17. "In Argentina, it is very different, it's a very strange league. You only play for the title over 19 games, Apertura and Clausura. I won one Apertura and one Clausura," Pochettino explained. "There are a lot of similarities. When we won three titles and arrived to the final of the Copa Libertadores we were very similar to the squad that we have now, in the balance between younger and senior experienced players. "I am reminded of a lot of similarities between Newell's Old Boys and Tottenham. The average age of the squad, the very good youngsters -- like me -- and the very good experienced players. There is a similar balance between experienced players and youngsters, a similar project."
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