The Belgian defender is well aware that Spurs will be expected to get past the non-league outfit in comfortable fashion in the FA Cup
Toby Alderweireld has expressed his belief that Tottenham “can’t really win” against Marine on Sunday.
Tottenham are due to come up against a team eight tiers below them in the English football pyramid when they begin their latest FA Cup campaign.
The Merseyside-based club will welcome Jose Mourinho’s men to Rossett Park while harbouring hope of a famous giant-killing, having gained confidence by beating Havant & Waterlooville at the same venue in the second round.
Alderweireld is wary of the threat a side currently playing in the Northern Premier League Division One will pose, with the defender acknowledging the fact that Spurs will come under scrutiny regardless of the final result.
“You can’t really win the game. If you win, you’re expected to,” the Belgian centre-back told a pre-match press conference.
“So it’s pressure but it is good to have pressure – if you have no pressure, you are a little bit sloppy.
“Everyone expects us to win easily but it’s never that easy because, for most of those guys, it’s the game of their lives, so they’re going to do everything to make it as difficult as possible.
“It’s up to us to start well and give a good level of performance.
“If we put the same work rate in as them then, of course, quality will beat them.”
Tottenham reached the Carabao Cup final by beating Brentford in the semi-finals last week, and also find themselves in the hunt for Premier League and Europa League honours heading into the second half of the season.
The FA Cup represents another route to silverware for Spurs, who haven’t won a major trophy since 2008, but Alderweireld says a lack of tangible success shouldn’t detract from how strong the team has become in recent years.
“We have to grab every chance we can to get silverware and to get as far as possible,” he added.
“We don’t have to be crazy about ‘silverware, silverware, silverware’, because the steps the club has taken are a lot bigger than winning one cup.
“Don’t underestimate the stadium, the Champions League final, getting into the Champions League for almost every season in the last five years.
“That is a big step for this club.
“But now it would be unbelievable to get some silverware, of course.”
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