Mauricio Pochettino is changing- can his players do the same?

Calm, positive, cheerful; these are all adjectives that could have been used to describe the ever-popular Mauricio Pochettino in the past. He has made no shortage of friends since arriving in the Premier League nearly five years ago, with pundits quite rightly admiring his attractive style of football alongside a charismatic yet respectful personality, never the kind of manager to throw a strop or storm out of interviews (naming no names).

Yet already this season there have been subtle but noticeable signs of change in the Argentine. They first reared its head at half-time in the Tottenham v Fulham game at Wembley. Although his side went into the break leading 1-0, Spurs had had a strong appeal for a penalty turned down early in the match when Harry Kane tumbled under the challenge of Timothy Fosu-Mensa. You could probably have got decent odds for both teams to score in both halves. The Pochettino of old probably would have let this go, or might have simply expressed his sympathy for the difficult job refs have to do after the game. This time, however, he waited by the touchline at half-time bristling with anger, and could be seen in heated discussion with referee Antony Taylor as they made their way down the tunnel. This is something we have very rarely seen before from the normally ice-cool 46-year-old, and yet here he was ranting away in only the second game of the season, before the stakes are even really high.

Then came the post-match press conference. Spurs eventually won the game 3-1, and the Pochettino of the past probably would have started by praising his players for a good, solid win. This time, however, he began by admitting that, as with Spurs’ opening game against Newcastle, he felt “disappointed” with the numerous chances conceded by his team, saying that although he was happy with the win, they had many things to improve.

A question about the future of defender Toby Alderweireld would again have probably been brushed off and answered diplomatically and swiftly in the past. This time, Pochettino decided it was necessary to go on a five minute rant to express his discontent with the line of questioning. Much of what he actually said seemed rambling and almost incoherent, but the point he seemed to want to make was something along the lines of ‘don’t mess with me this season, because I’m not in the mood’.

Perhaps Pochettino feels he and his team have been seen as the nice guys for too long. While in the past he has excelled in being a father type figure to his young players, putting an arm around a shoulder when needed and trying to boost their confidence whenever possible, he may see now as the time where he needs to be harder on his gradually maturing squad.

He appears to have gained a certain swagger over pre-season, dressing sharply with a smart new haircut and losing a bit of weight, and perhaps his apparent new-found confidence is with good reason. This is, after all, a man in hot demand, and he was reportedly the first choice for arguably the biggest job in football during the summer after Zinedine Zidane’s shock departure from Madrid. Had he not signed a new contract with Tottenham just days earlier perhaps Pochettino could have been tempted into making the move, but even though he stayed, it is highly unlikely to be the end of the matter in the long term, especially as current Madrid boss Julen Lopetegui is seen as nothing more than a stopgap by many in the Spanish media before Los Blancos swoop for a more high profile appointment in the not-too-distant-future.

Jose Mourinho’s struggles at United are unlikely to have escaped Pochettino’s attention either. He and Sir Alex Ferguson are known to be great mutual admirers of each other, and Pochettino’s apparent new tough streak is likely to have been influenced by the Scotsman. With United likely to be looking for a long-term manager to build a new project sooner rather than later, Pochettino may relish the opportunity to try to follow in Ferguson’s footsteps at Old Trafford.

Ultimately, however, Pochettino has to deliver success. Whilst his side have impressed in the league, with three top three finishes in a row, Spurs’ need for a trophy has been tiresomely discussed for some time now, and the excuses really are running out. Ferguson famously only won the first of his 38 trophies with Manchester United in his fourth season at the club; Pochettino has just begun his fourth with Spurs, and despite appearing unflappable on the outside, inside he may feel the pressure to deliver this season, leading to a more stern façade than we are used to. As Jermaine Jenas recently pointed out, he has never seen Spurs play badly and win.

In spite of the uproar over Spurs’ lack of activity in the transfer window, this is still a squad with a hell of a lot going for it: A World Cup-winning keeper, the World Cup golden boot winner, creativity in abundance and three quality centre backs. The stadium uncertainty may still cast a cloud over the club, but the fact that Spurs have already played a full season at Wembley, and with a pretty good record there to boot, means that it can’t really be used as an excuse anymore.

And yet, as their rivals delight in telling them, other than that World Cup winner Hugo Lloris, they really don’t have any proven ‘winners’. No fewer than eight Tottenham players were involved in the World Cup semi-final losses for England and Belgium, and it remains to be seen whether they will ever be seen as true champions or perennially known as the nearly men who can never quite get over the final hurdle.

Pochettino seems to be intent on ensuring it is the former. The league may prove beyond them if Manchester City keep up their seemingly unstoppable form, but Pochettino knows this season could well be make or break in terms of winning something. “We can’t keep doing this” said Dele Alli after the side’s 2-1 semi final loss to Man Utd in the FA Cup last season. That now also seems to be the message coming loud and clear from their manager’s mouth. Pochettino is a man who means business this season. If his players can’t deliver it for him, it may well end up being his last at the club.