Mauricio Pochettino

[sammyspurs]

Part of me wonders if that is why Poch won't buy the superstar. If he does, then he is committed to winning something and if the likes of Palace come along and knock us out of the FA cup or Spammers out of the League cup, then there is more pressure on him.

Perhaps Poch's "Be Brave" wasn't aimed at the club but more at himself.

If Poch gets his men, and fails, then what?
I’ll back him, as long as we are playing our best and he’s showing that he’s learning from his mistakes and evolving.
But I wonder how long it would take for those hero worshipping him to turn on him

 

[Sunglasses Ron]

The FA Cup is only dead in the minds of CL brainwashed fans. It’s a major trophy and one we’ve got much more chance of winning than the CL for example which is a pipe dream. Dismissing it as an achievement is spitting on our history as a club

Spot on.

 

[Swoos]

How’d those last couple FA Cups runs workout for Wenger? How’d those trophies workout for Jose at United?

 

[MVP]

I agree with you to some extent, I am a lover of the FA Cup, I want it to remain a trophy, I don't like to see it sponsored, I don't want to see it molested in any way shape or form (e.g. replays must be played until there is a winner, fuck these new format playing times, fuck how they now do the draw on the One Show, fuck semi-finals at Wembley etc...), some of the greatest sporting competitions in the Wolrd are such because they are steeped in history and kept alive via nostalgic fans, but almost all of these events pay the top dollar in prize money also. Wimbledon (the jewel in the crown of Tennis Grand Slams had to change its entire outlook and re-invest in itself 20yrs ago as it was lagging far behind the others, it's 3rd highest payer now I think).

Ask yourself why there were so many empty seats at Selhurst Park (almost an entire stand empty) yesterday between 2 London Clubs an all PL clash? Every game I watched on the TV across this weekend at the first rounds all played in half-empty grounds, why? It's dead.

It is dominated by the Top Four over the last 25yrs or so because they have the best teams, their 'B' Teams are still better than the 'B' Teams they play against and if they are drawn against lower league opposition their 'C' Teams are better than those first teams (most of the time).

Maybe I'm just getting too old, but every single year it's the same argument (not just Spurs but ALL clubs), It's so fucking boring. When a PL team loses to a lower league side they get lambasted for fielding a weakened team, when they win they get praised for their squad depth and use of the whole squad every single year, the same discussion, it proves one thing that this isn't a big Cup to win anymore, it hasn't been for years.

Do I want to win it? Absolutely 100% I do. But it isn't a "Big" cup. Managers still get sacked after reaching a final or even winning it. The prize money doesn't even cover the wages of the best player in the team.

Poch is the only Manager with the balls to say this, all the other managers take one step back whilst he's standing out there on his own, consistent in his views. Meanwhile, Klopp who got knocked out of both cups at the first time of asking was praised (bravely and rightly so IMO) by Carragher, claiming this was Liverpool's best chance of winning the league and you know what it's probably going to work for them too. If the draw is kind you can reach at least the semis by fielding a heavily rotated side, hell Chelsea left their two best players on the bench when they played us in the semi's, Conte got praised for this too, tactical genius remember!

A healthy vibrant competition is a competition that teams are desperate to win, reflected in fielding a strong side, in turn, it is played to packed stadia, with the winner benefiting from their spoils with a healthy bank balance.

The FA Cup is dead.

For us it is and I think for anyone outside of the 5 big clubs it is too. I don't think we're big enough or won enough to be able to chuck cups aside. We're not going to win the league or the CL anytime soon imo, so the FA cup is one of the only realistic trophies we can win.

 

[Swoos]

Also, please show me examples of managers of clubs at the top of the table that value the cups more than league games? Every cup game has weakened squads. Right now our rotated squad is full of bums because our entire team in hurt. Because they’ve logged too many minutes.

But sure....send em all out there for every game.

 

[sammyspurs]

Also, please show me examples of managers of clubs at the top of the table that value the cups more than league games? Every cup game has weakened squads. Right now our rotated squad is full of bums because our entire team in hurt. Because they’ve logged too many minutes.

But sure....send em all out there for every game.

But maybe if he didn’t send them all out every game, over the years, the injuries may have been less.

Nobody except me was calling for Dele and Kane to be rotated way back in the autumn of 2017..
Oh well

 

[Steed_Train]

This whole notion of ignoring the cups only works if you make serious challenge for the league or CL.

In recent history we have done neither so it's ridiculously arrogant to ignore domestic cups. If we ever want to lose this "spursy" ethos we just need to win SOMETHING. the cups represent the best chance of taking that step

 

[ArcspacE]

You’re not in a position to make demands because you disagreed with a direct quote where Poch said the club was brave not to sign anyone.

The rest of the interview is here;

We are thinking now we need to make our new stadium home and we know it will be tough in the beginning to settle there,” he told a post-match news conference.

I have a very clear idea of what we need to do. I don’t know if the club will agree with me or not, but we are going to talk next week to create what I think we need to do together to improve.


“Until today it was so difficult to talk about the future, but from now we need to decide the way and how we are going to operate in the future.

“Our fans need to know what we are going to do and our fans need to feel the reality of the club and we need to tell the truth and create a very good expectation we can achieve. We cannot create dreams that we are not going to achieve.

“The first step is to be close and challenge the sides who invest more than us and find a way. We need to think our reality is different and our fans need to think and be happy and support us because we are not a club who will spend crazy money.

I think Daniel is going to listen to me, but you know sometimes I might have some crazy ideas. With our unbelievable fans, sometimes you need to be brave and take risks. I think the club is in a moment where they need to take risks."


So while Poch says we can spend small money, he also says we need to be clever and find another way.
He then says we will not spend crazy minutes eye and the fans need to understand that and support him.

Another way, while not spending small money was clearly keeping our best players and paying them more and not buying any old crap to appease some fans.

He went on to say the club has been brave by investing a billion in the ground. Not small money is it.
He then said the club made a brave decision not to sign.
Disagree as much as you want. As I said, they are Pochs words, not mine.

Now I’ve explained what I think he meant in your one paragraph.
Can you explain what he meant when he said “it was our decision. It was a brave decision” regarding the last window.

So that's a no then - you're not going to explain that sentence

Thought so

 

[Reidy]

Not really - so a few fans will call him out and go mental at him........he'll still have offers from United and Real

But then Poch WILL be expected to win trophies and not just Leagues and CLs, all trophies.

If Poch goes to Man Ure and his only goal is top 4, he'll not last too long.
If Poch goes to Madrid and they struggle behing Barca and don't have anything to show, he'll not last too long.

IF what Poch said was meant to keep the pressure off the players and he doesn't really believe it, then fair enough. If however Poch really doesn't believe winning cups is anything more than an ego boost, it's a sad viewpoint and wrong.

Also how long do you give players who want to finish their career with trophies before they say enough is enough and they toddle off to a team who seeks to win everything?

 

[sammyspurs]

So that's a no then - you're not going to explain that sentence

Thought so

I just did though.
Not spending small money meant not buying cheap squad fillers for the sake of it

You can disagree but don’t lie and say I haven’t explained what I think he meant.
What did he mean when he said the club made a brave decision not to sign in your opinion.

You’ve made yourself look silly here by refusing to man up and answer.
I’ll answer anything you throw at me in great detail....you lack conviction in your views, that’s why you can’t explain what you even think.

 

[ArcspacE]

I just did though.

Not spending small money meant not buying cheap squad fillers for the sake of it

No - it meant trying to win something while spending peanuts doesn't work which to date has been proven true with him

 

[ArcspacE]

you lack conviction in your views, that’s why you can’t explain what you even think.

Says the guy who changes his take on transfers daily and wanted Poch replaced with Klopp few weeks back

 

[sammyspurs]

No - it meant trying to win something while spending peanuts doesn't work which to date has been proven true with him

Matter of opinion but your opinion is skewed because you have locked onto one paragraph of the interview and refused to accept anything else he said that you don’t agree with.

You have refused context and rationality on the basis that you don’t like most of what he said.
Crass, but to be expected from you

 

[Guido 🇺🇦]

For us it is and I think for anyone outside of the 5 big clubs it is too. I don't think we're big enough or won enough to be able to chuck cups aside. We're not going to win the league or the CL anytime soon imo, so the FA cup is one of the only realistic trophies we can win.

We are "chucking" the cups as much as any side in the PL or Championship. To the point that getting to a final and two semi-finals in the last 4yrs isn't exactly "chucking" a cup in my view! Or was Tripps missing a pen and KWP handballing or GKN missing a sitter constitute "chucking" the cup?

The only Clubs the FA Cup it makes a material difference to each year are those lower league clubs that are lucky enough to get a PL team drawn out of the hat. It can be the difference between survival or building a new stand or clubhouse, for the bigger sides it doesn't pay the wage of their highest-paid player.

As for winning the League, Liverpool will probably do it this year as a direct result. A club that has only now just picked up a handful of injuries, giving them the chance to focus and fully prepare on a game plan for the next game, have their players rested and give time to those that are injured to recover fully without having to rush back too early. I'd argue too that a huge part of Leister winning the League was because they didn't play in the domestic cups and not playing at all in Europe, as a direct result they fielded the same side almost every week, fresh and rested.

I read through these very pages so often, and all I've been hearing is him not rotating his squad, doesn't play the kids, why doesn't KWP play? etc. etc etc..... When he does he's getting killed for doing it.

 

[sammyspurs]

Says the guy who changes his take on transfers daily and wanted Poch replaced with Klopp few weeks back

Daily?
No I changed my mind when Kane got injured and Dembele was sold.
So what?

As for Klopp, what I said was back in November was that he was having a better season than Poch. You disagreed...do you agree now, or is Poch still bestist ever?

I also said Klopp would have this team making the most of its attacking prowess more often with a more direct approach, and I still believe he would.

Doesn’t mean I want him here, but for someone who accuses me of writing off any player outside of Spurs, it’s odd that you belittle this seasons best manager on the basis he’s at Liverpool

 

[Blanchflower]

But then Poch WILL be expected to win trophies and not just Leagues and CLs, all trophies.

If Poch goes to Man Ure and his only goal is top 4, he'll not last too long.
If Poch goes to Madrid and they struggle behing Barca and don't have anything to show, he'll not last too long.

IF what Poch said was meant to keep the pressure off the players and he doesn't really believe it, then fair enough. If however Poch really doesn't believe winning cups is anything more than an ego boost, it's a sad viewpoint and wrong.

Also how long do you give players who want to finish their career with trophies before they say enough is enough and they toddle off to a team who seeks to win everything?

Where did he say that?

He said Top 4 is more important to Spurs than the FA / League Cup - that's also true at Man Utd

 

[Reidy]

Where did he say that?

He said Top 4 is more important to Spurs than the FA / League Cup - that's also true at Man Utd

Then I think he is wrong.

When you take a team to the cusp of winning, only to continuously fail (for whatever reason) a malaise will set in.

We need a win to prove to everyone, including ourselves that we can succeed.

We have arguably three or four players who could get a game at any side in the world and yet we limit or ambition to "Top 4".

 

[Blanchflower]

Then I think he is wrong.

When you take a team to the cusp of winning, only to continuously fail (for whatever reason) a malaise will set in.

We need a win to prove to everyone, including ourselves that we can succeed.

We have arguably three or four players who could get a game at any side in the world and yet we limit or ambition to "Top 4".

He said Top 4 is the priority.....not the limit of our ambition

Same for all of the 'big 6'

 

[Wallander]

 

[MVP]

We are "chucking" the cups as much as any side in the PL or Championship. To the point that getting to a final and two semi-finals in the last 4yrs isn't exactly "chucking" a cup in my view! Or was Tripps missing a pen and KWP handballing or GKN missing a sitter constitute "chucking" the cup?

The only Clubs the FA Cup it makes a material difference to each year are those lower league clubs that are lucky enough to get a PL team drawn out of the hat. It can be the difference between survival or building a new stand or clubhouse, for the bigger sides it doesn't pay the wage of their highest-paid player.

As for winning the League, Liverpool will probably do it this year as a direct result. A club that has only now just picked up a handful of injuries, giving them the chance to focus and fully prepare on a game plan for the next game, have their players rested and give time to those that are injured to recover fully without having to rush back too early. I'd argue too that a huge part of Leister winning the League was because they didn't play in the domestic cups and not playing at all in Europe, as a direct result they fielded the same side almost every week, fresh and rested.

I read through these very pages so often, and all I've been hearing is him not rotating his squad, doesn't play the kids, why doesn't KWP play? etc. etc etc..... When he does he's getting killed for doing it.

I was specifically addressing your comment about the FA cup not being a big cup. I've never been sold on the argument that going out of the cup means that the club can focus on the league or the CL. The best clubs have a squad to compete in all competitions, not only that but they take the competition seriously enough to win it and qualify for the CL too,