Mauricio Pochettino

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Guido said:
Tottenham are on brink of something special - if they keep Mauricio Pochettino

Who would you prefer managing your club: a coach with two Champions League wins, a Liga and the World Club championship in less than two full seasons in senior management, or a coach who, in eight years as a manager, has won nothing?

Zinedine Zidane or Mauricio Pochettino? Based on their CVs there is no choice, yet you will not find a single Spurs fan willing to swap their coach for the Real Madrid legend.

In fact, if Zidane’s troubles continue in Spain I am confident Pochettino would be the first name on the Real president Florentino Pérez’s Christmas wishlist.

Some managers, like Zidane, are figureheads. They inspire with their presence, command the respect of a dressing room and ensure the egos work together.

Their work should not be underestimated at the superclubs. Zidane deserves more credit for what he has achieved in Madrid since taking over in January 2016. No one will convince me Zidane is a superior training ground coach to his predecessor, Rafa Benítez – the most studious and tactically aware manager I ever had - but moulding superstar players into a unit brings its own challenges. Benítez did not succeed with the same group of players.

There are other coaches who change the mentality, reputation and status of a football club so their imprint remains long after they have moved on. Football historians can create their own list of these coaching pioneers from Matt Busby and Bill Shankly to Rinus Michels to Johan Cruyff and Sir Alex Ferguson and Pep Guardiola.

Pochettino is changing our perception of Spurs by following the tradition of his compatriot and mentor Marcelo Bielsa. He has absorbed Bielsa’s ideas but he is yet to shrug off one of the more unwelcome habits of his teacher.

Speak to any coach inspired by Bielsa and they will lavish praise, but his honours list is modest. He has never won a major trophy in Europe, and his last title was in Argentina in 1998.

Does this diminish Bielsa’s genius or scale of his influence? Of course not, but the greatest managers want success to enhance their prominent standing.

Tottenham are deservedly winning plenty of applause for their brilliant form, but here is one compliment they will not like: they are the best trophy-less team I have ever seen.

English football has never had a side play so consistently well without anything to show for it. People talk about Kevin Keegan’s entertainers of 1996 but Spurs are vastly superior.

I was at Wembley in midweek to see the dismantling of Real Madrid in the Champions League. It felt like a statement performance.

You heard some say Madrid are a fading force, no longer the side that won three of the last four Champions League finals. I have no time for such nonsense, when the breaking down of a formidable opponent is attributed to one team’s weakness more than the other’s strength.

Fair enough Real had two or three first team players missing, but they had not lost a group game for five years before Wednesday. They are a team packed with extraordinary players who were made to look an ordinary side. Pochettino’s line-up demonstrated the youthful vigour that makes them one of the most exciting teams in Europe, and we should also remember how close they were to winning the away fixture a fortnight ago. This was not a solitary impressive performance, but a level Spurs have been building to for three years...
For this to change there is an emphasis on the need to retain their stars such as Dele Alli and Harry Kane. No. The most important man they must keep is Pochettino.

Why am I such a big fan? I retired as a player almost five years ago and since moving into punditry Pochettino’s Tottenham are the team I have enjoyed watching most. They are everything you want in terms of balance, attacking, defending, bringing youngsters through and improving players.

Their constant changing of their set-up from a back three to back four typifies Pochettino’s coaching skill. We see other managers do this and think it is because of uncertainty, not knowing the best team or system. When I see Spurs do it, it is seamless, everyone knowing and understanding their role.

A lot of people in football discuss systems. It is easy to talk about it, but a completely different proposition executing, ensuring players comprehend it and buy into it.

I said on Wednesday it was a privilege to be at Wembley to witness Spurs’ performance. As a neutral I am sure I speak for a lot of people in this country when I say it will be a shame if this manager and this team does not win a major trophy in the next two or three years.

That will be extremely difficult with the financial might of the Manchester clubs and Chelsea. There will be a temptation to leave for Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain, who I have no doubt will offer Pochettino the chance to join the managerial elite as a trophy winner swifter than might be possible in north London.

The greatest managers not only collect silverware, but leave a lasting legacy. Pochettino can achieve both at Tottenham. If he succeeds, Bielsa’s student will eclipse his master.
Click to expand...
Even though he sounds like he has a mouthful of spittle, Carragher does genuinely seem to like us... unlike the 'through gritted teeth' praise that all the ex-Gooners in the media are now having to endure... bet they never thought they'd see the day when they AREN'T asked to talk about ArseAnal all day long!

Besides, wasn't Carragher only a few more own-goals away from being our joint record goalscorer?!!!

...and THAT'S what you get for not reading the post above before pressing SEND!
Apologies Joe Clash Joe Clash for repeating your stat!
 
Last edited:
1882 said:
Even though he sounds like he has a mouthful of spittle, Carragher does genuinely seem to like us... unlike the 'through gritted teeth' praise that all the ex-Gooners in the media are now having to ebdure... bet they never thought they'd see the day when they AREN'T asked to talk about ArseAnal all day long!

Besides, wasn't Carragher only a few more own-goals away from being our joint record goalscorer?!!!

...and THAT'S what you get for not reading the post above before pressing SEND!
Apologies @JoeClash for repeating your stat!
Click to expand...
Good punditry is to report what is seen and to a degree felt. It should be balanced and in context. Both he and Neville have this, if we played badly and they report what was/is bad I can listen objectively because I'm confident they both have researched what they see too, they back up their thought with data and examples. They don't use cliches and hitch a ride on the narratives being spun by those who haven't done any research. They value their positions and I get the seasons that they want to be good at their jobs, rather than be driven by soundbites.

There are a few others out their too, but not many.
 
I find it bizarre why anyone would want a job at a so called 'big club'? If you go there you are expected to win, if you do sure the fans are happy for a while but they act entitled and spit their dummies if you fail.

Imagine taking a sleeping giant, making them a force to be reckoned with on a limited budget then going on to dominate for many years. If you achieve that there can be nothing put down to a previous coach, buying the best players or luck. It simply comes down to the coach.

Fergie did it at united, I can't really think of anyone else who has achieved the same. Pep hasn't done anything like this... If Poch does it he will be one of the all time greats.

It's this very obvious reason that I believe he will stick around. If Levy supports him (which I believe he will) we have a very bright future ahead.
 
Mauricio Pochettino lined up to replace God as manager of the heavens/ universe as we know it.

Pochettino was seen having dinner with Jesus of Nazareth along with close friends and work mates Jimenez and the other Jesus, Perez, at a top London restaurant.
Jesus of Nazareth was accompanied by his aides, the 12 disciples, but apparently then whole meal consisted of just one fish and a jug of water.
It’s understood that Gods son and right hand man was sounding Pochettino out on taking over heavens reigns.
God has ruled over the heavens longer than any other deity and of late has produced disappointing results.
Pochettino is seen as a long term replacement who could organise the masses back into one coherent, dominant religion and heal the rift that has seen splits in the fan base.
Poor performance has lead to some terrible infighting between rival fans the Islamic and Christian Ultras.
After all, he’s magic you know.
 
Bagelboy said:
Mauricio Pochettino lined up to replace God as manager of the heavens/ universe as we know it.

Pochettino was seen having dinner with Jesus of Nazareth along with close friends and work mates Jimenez and the other Jesus, Perez, at a top London restaurant.
Jesus of Nazareth was accompanied by his aides, the 12 disciples, but apparently then whole meal consisted of just one fish and a jug of water.
It’s understood that Gods son and right hand man was sounding Pochettino out on taking over heavens reigns.
God has ruled over the heavens longer than any other deity and of late has produced disappointing results.
Pochettino is seen as a long term replacement who could organise the masses back into one coherent, dominant religion and heal the rift that has seen splits in the fan base.
Poor performance has lead to some terrible infighting between rival fans the Islamic and Christian Ultras.
After all, he’s magic you know.
Click to expand...
Yeah but will he take Kane, Alli, Eriksen, Lloris with him? Disciples haven’t been doing much lately IMV. Could do with some new faces and Judas is still suspended I think, pending an internal investigation.
 
Mauricio Pochettino: ‘I would not change Spurs for another job in the world’
The Tottenham manager dismisses rumours linking him with Real Madrid and insists he is staying at the club that is ‘in my head 100%’



Mauricio Pochettino, left, won the tactical battle against Zinedine Zidane as Tottenham beat Real Madrid 3-1. Photograph: John Sibley/Action Images via Reuters
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David Hytner

@DaveHytner
Saturday 4 November 2017 22.30 GMT

By any reckoning, it was an unusual way to celebrate. Mauricio Pochettinoreached for a Halloween cookie that had been baked by his wife, Karina, and a dram of the Japanese whisky that had been a present from his assistant, Jesús Pérez. And he tried to process what had happened.

It was late on Wednesday night, Pochettino’s Tottenham had just beaten Real Madrid 3-1 at Wembley in the Champions League – the most eye-catching result of his managerial career – and he was back at home, alone with his thoughts and little treats. Pochettino clicked on a phone message from Pérez, the man he describes as his brother and who can generally be relied upon for perspective and profound comment. It began to sink in.

“Jesús sent me a very kind message,” Pochettino says. “Sometimes, we don’t stop to realise what we are doing, but, in that moment, it touched me. I just messaged him back to say: ‘Thank you. You are a craque. You are top.’ I took a Halloween cookie and a bit of whisky and I put my iPad on the bed. I listened to some Spanish radio about politics in Catalonia. Then, I went to sleep.”

Pochettino feels that a part of him will forever be in Catalonia; he lived in Barcelona during his time as a player and the manager of Espanyol. He has closely followed the situation in the region, as has Pérez, who was born in Barcelona.

But since Thursday morning, Pochettino has been sucked in by football politics. Tottenham’s humbling of a team that was already on the edge of crisis sent the Madrid media into meltdownand you know how it goes from here. The day before the game, Pochettino had predicted that Dele Alli’s best form was coming. The attacking midfielder would be the hero against Real, scoring two goals.

The icy blast of the Madrid rumour mill has now been felt. Zinedine Zidane is in trouble and the club have identified Pochettino as a potential successor to the Real manager. The Argentinian had already aced the first audition two weeks earlier, in the first Champions League Group H meeting between the clubs, when he showed his tactical flexibility and his team left the Bernabéu with a 1-1 draw. The Wembley win was something else and Zidane was magnanimous enough to say Spurs had been superior.

How does it feel to be discussed as a Madrid manager-in-waiting? Pochettino has previously made it plain that, because of his Espanyol history, he could never manage Barcelona. Pride is one of the emotions. “When you win against Real Madrid or have good results in the Champions League or the Premier League, it’s normal that we are in the spotlight if a big club wanted to change something inside,” he says.

“For me, it only produces a big satisfaction. I feel proud about Tottenham and I feel proud about the players. In the end, that situation happens because the players are performing well, scoring goals and we are winning games.”

Pochettino is sufficiently streetwise to know suitors are a good thing; they represent validation and no one in any walk of life is advised to chase them away. “I don’t want to lie,” he says. “Always, I want to be honest and I say: ‘I don’t think about tomorrow. I don’t think about next season.’ Because it doesn’t depend only on me, it depends on many circumstances. And it’s so important to be respectful and prudent, cautious and intelligent.”

It is when Pochettino considers what he has at Tottenham, what he is building, that the music starts to play in the ears of the club’s fans – and those of Daniel Levy, too. The chairman has hit the jackpot with a manager who does not demand massive transfer budgets and is happier to make the difference with his coaching and man management, with nurturing homegrown players.

“The most important club in the world is Tottenham,” Pochettino says. “And it is the best club in the world. I need to feel like this and that emotion is real because I cannot be fake. It’s too difficult to create the trust if you don’t really believe and it’s not real, that emotion. Today, Tottenham is in my head 100%. Today, I do not change Tottenham for another position in the world because I am so involved, so focused.

“The club deserves to have people that think only about the club, the fans, the players and the structures – and they provide us with an unbelievable life. It’s important to recognise that. It’s an amazing club and it’s so important for us to pay back the club for the way that they treat us.”

Pochettino said after the Madrid victory that Spurs had proved they belonged at the elite level and he is adamant that he can achieve his ambitions with them. Why? Because he believes in Levy, in the project and, above all, in the overarching notion of the journey.



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It almost ended before it started in earnest and Pochettino will always look back on the league fixture at Aston Villa in November 2014 as the turning point. Tottenham had travelled to the Midlands in 12th place and had they lost Pochettino feared it would have been the end for him and his staff. Instead, Harry Kane came on for Emmanuel Adebayor and he scored with a last-gasp deflected free-kick for a 2-1 come-from-behind win. Kane would replace Adebayor in the starting lineup thereafter.

The trends have since been upwards and when there have been setbacks Pochettino and his squad have found the means to recover. He was bitterly disappointed at the Champions League group stage failure last season. This time out, they have qualified for the last 16 after four games. Pochettino had found a collectively weak mentality when he took charge. Now, the players bristle with conviction.

“Before I arrived to Tottenham, everyone said to me: ‘It’s so difficult to have a very good relationship with Daniel,’” Pochettino says. “But I have discovered a great man. I feel that he trusts in me and I trust him. I don’t care what happens around myself because I know very well that I am so happy here and we have a great relationship.

“It’s not about winning or losing – it’s about trust. And when you achieve that at a club like Tottenham, with massive potential, you have to create something together. You have to create a project. I believe in what we are doing and I believe we can build a fantastic team that can achieve all that we dream.”

Pochettino speaks of the excitement that everyone connected to the club can feel about the new stadium, which is being built adjacent to White Hart Lane and should be ready for the beginning of next season. He has previously said that he has started to think about the first match there, but, for him, it is not so much the reality of the 61,000-seat venue. “It’s more to enjoy the journey [to it] with Daniel,” he says. “I speak every day with him and you feel how he cares about everything. It is impossible not to feel proud and be excited about the future of Tottenham.

“That is the key. It is not only the facilities, it is how Daniel is driving that project. A few weeks ago, myself, Jesús and my staff were at the new stadium with Daniel and the architect, and you can feel that it is not just an empty structure – there is a soul and love; there is care in every single detail. That is what excites me the most.”

Pochettino, whose side face the different challenge of Crystal Palace at home on Sunday and then an away north London derby after the international break, can only speculate on how a manager’s life might be at Madrid, but it seems clear that there would be fundamental differences to his job spec at Spurs. “I cannot speak because I was never at that type of club,” Pochettino says. “I can only guess.

“If you read my book [Brave New World], you will understand that maybe I am not a person in football whose motivation is only himself. I love to work and feel part of the project; to share and create something special. I feel very important at Tottenham, very comfortable and I enjoy the journey a lot. Today, I don’t think about a future elsewhere.”
 
Blanchflower said:
Mauricio Pochettino: ‘I would not change Spurs for another job in the world’
The Tottenham manager dismisses rumours linking him with Real Madrid and insists he is staying at the club that is ‘in my head 100%’



Mauricio Pochettino, left, won the tactical battle against Zinedine Zidane as Tottenham beat Real Madrid 3-1. Photograph: John Sibley/Action Images via Reuters
Shares
2
Comments
0
David-Hytner,-L.png

David Hytner

@DaveHytner
Saturday 4 November 2017 22.30 GMT

By any reckoning, it was an unusual way to celebrate. Mauricio Pochettinoreached for a Halloween cookie that had been baked by his wife, Karina, and a dram of the Japanese whisky that had been a present from his assistant, Jesús Pérez. And he tried to process what had happened.

It was late on Wednesday night, Pochettino’s Tottenham had just beaten Real Madrid 3-1 at Wembley in the Champions League – the most eye-catching result of his managerial career – and he was back at home, alone with his thoughts and little treats. Pochettino clicked on a phone message from Pérez, the man he describes as his brother and who can generally be relied upon for perspective and profound comment. It began to sink in.

“Jesús sent me a very kind message,” Pochettino says. “Sometimes, we don’t stop to realise what we are doing, but, in that moment, it touched me. I just messaged him back to say: ‘Thank you. You are a craque. You are top.’ I took a Halloween cookie and a bit of whisky and I put my iPad on the bed. I listened to some Spanish radio about politics in Catalonia. Then, I went to sleep.”

Pochettino feels that a part of him will forever be in Catalonia; he lived in Barcelona during his time as a player and the manager of Espanyol. He has closely followed the situation in the region, as has Pérez, who was born in Barcelona.

But since Thursday morning, Pochettino has been sucked in by football politics. Tottenham’s humbling of a team that was already on the edge of crisis sent the Madrid media into meltdownand you know how it goes from here. The day before the game, Pochettino had predicted that Dele Alli’s best form was coming. The attacking midfielder would be the hero against Real, scoring two goals.

The icy blast of the Madrid rumour mill has now been felt. Zinedine Zidane is in trouble and the club have identified Pochettino as a potential successor to the Real manager. The Argentinian had already aced the first audition two weeks earlier, in the first Champions League Group H meeting between the clubs, when he showed his tactical flexibility and his team left the Bernabéu with a 1-1 draw. The Wembley win was something else and Zidane was magnanimous enough to say Spurs had been superior.

How does it feel to be discussed as a Madrid manager-in-waiting? Pochettino has previously made it plain that, because of his Espanyol history, he could never manage Barcelona. Pride is one of the emotions. “When you win against Real Madrid or have good results in the Champions League or the Premier League, it’s normal that we are in the spotlight if a big club wanted to change something inside,” he says.

“For me, it only produces a big satisfaction. I feel proud about Tottenham and I feel proud about the players. In the end, that situation happens because the players are performing well, scoring goals and we are winning games.”

Pochettino is sufficiently streetwise to know suitors are a good thing; they represent validation and no one in any walk of life is advised to chase them away. “I don’t want to lie,” he says. “Always, I want to be honest and I say: ‘I don’t think about tomorrow. I don’t think about next season.’ Because it doesn’t depend only on me, it depends on many circumstances. And it’s so important to be respectful and prudent, cautious and intelligent.”

It is when Pochettino considers what he has at Tottenham, what he is building, that the music starts to play in the ears of the club’s fans – and those of Daniel Levy, too. The chairman has hit the jackpot with a manager who does not demand massive transfer budgets and is happier to make the difference with his coaching and man management, with nurturing homegrown players.

“The most important club in the world is Tottenham,” Pochettino says. “And it is the best club in the world. I need to feel like this and that emotion is real because I cannot be fake. It’s too difficult to create the trust if you don’t really believe and it’s not real, that emotion. Today, Tottenham is in my head 100%. Today, I do not change Tottenham for another position in the world because I am so involved, so focused.

“The club deserves to have people that think only about the club, the fans, the players and the structures – and they provide us with an unbelievable life. It’s important to recognise that. It’s an amazing club and it’s so important for us to pay back the club for the way that they treat us.”

Pochettino said after the Madrid victory that Spurs had proved they belonged at the elite level and he is adamant that he can achieve his ambitions with them. Why? Because he believes in Levy, in the project and, above all, in the overarching notion of the journey.



Advertisement
It almost ended before it started in earnest and Pochettino will always look back on the league fixture at Aston Villa in November 2014 as the turning point. Tottenham had travelled to the Midlands in 12th place and had they lost Pochettino feared it would have been the end for him and his staff. Instead, Harry Kane came on for Emmanuel Adebayor and he scored with a last-gasp deflected free-kick for a 2-1 come-from-behind win. Kane would replace Adebayor in the starting lineup thereafter.

The trends have since been upwards and when there have been setbacks Pochettino and his squad have found the means to recover. He was bitterly disappointed at the Champions League group stage failure last season. This time out, they have qualified for the last 16 after four games. Pochettino had found a collectively weak mentality when he took charge. Now, the players bristle with conviction.

“Before I arrived to Tottenham, everyone said to me: ‘It’s so difficult to have a very good relationship with Daniel,’” Pochettino says. “But I have discovered a great man. I feel that he trusts in me and I trust him. I don’t care what happens around myself because I know very well that I am so happy here and we have a great relationship.

“It’s not about winning or losing – it’s about trust. And when you achieve that at a club like Tottenham, with massive potential, you have to create something together. You have to create a project. I believe in what we are doing and I believe we can build a fantastic team that can achieve all that we dream.”

Pochettino speaks of the excitement that everyone connected to the club can feel about the new stadium, which is being built adjacent to White Hart Lane and should be ready for the beginning of next season. He has previously said that he has started to think about the first match there, but, for him, it is not so much the reality of the 61,000-seat venue. “It’s more to enjoy the journey [to it] with Daniel,” he says. “I speak every day with him and you feel how he cares about everything. It is impossible not to feel proud and be excited about the future of Tottenham.

“That is the key. It is not only the facilities, it is how Daniel is driving that project. A few weeks ago, myself, Jesús and my staff were at the new stadium with Daniel and the architect, and you can feel that it is not just an empty structure – there is a soul and love; there is care in every single detail. That is what excites me the most.”

Pochettino, whose side face the different challenge of Crystal Palace at home on Sunday and then an away north London derby after the international break, can only speculate on how a manager’s life might be at Madrid, but it seems clear that there would be fundamental differences to his job spec at Spurs. “I cannot speak because I was never at that type of club,” Pochettino says. “I can only guess.

“If you read my book [Brave New World], you will understand that maybe I am not a person in football whose motivation is only himself. I love to work and feel part of the project; to share and create something special. I feel very important at Tottenham, very comfortable and I enjoy the journey a lot. Today, I don’t think about a future elsewhere.”
Click to expand...
Very nice, apart from that weird bit near the end.
 
Guido said:

At the begging of the season Vertonghen was interviewed by Neville (posted in here somewhere) and in this interview he was talking about our highline and body shape. Perfectly illustrated above.
Click to expand...

You can tell Sanchez is in his 3rd month of training under Poch. But what a sexy line - well drilled, best defence in Europe.
 
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