The Mauricio Pochettino thread

[spuradik]

I don

I don't disagree, all I'm saying is don't blame it on Levy.

We could have strengthened!!!

I'm sorry but I disagree with this. While I don't deny the fact that we had money to spend, I fully blame Levy for it.

When Poch identified a player in Jack Grealish who he wanted in, it was still Levy's job to get it over the line. Having money to spend is one thing, but actually spending it is another. The problem with Levy is that unless he feels a player is truly guaranteed to be world class (ex. Modric - who at the time was one of our most expensive transfers ever; or De Jong for whom we were prepared to go all in), he starts to put his own valuation on the player, which is completely unrealistic and not in line with the prevailing market rate. And as if that's not enough he drags it out until someone else comes in. This is a massive problem and will continue to be until he either takes himself out of the negotiating process and hires a DOF or changes his strategy in terms of his own valuation of players if he still insists on being in control of transfers. It truly is incredible when investors can literally close a deal and take over an entire club in the time Levy took to finalize the JG deal.

Even before our crazy CL run, I still believed that Poch had earned the right to be stubborn and adamant in choice of players that he wanted in. When people complain about being flexible and having tier 2 targets, then I feel that they're missing the most fundamental part of Poch's planning and management of players to suit his system. Janssen for Batshuayi is a clear example of this flexibility and it did not work. We have done this time and time again and I think it's time that we close that chapter and start a new one this summer.

Going back to Poch's interview with the spanish paper earlier, it's clear he has a preferred system he'd like to play and for that he wants players of very specific qualities. And in the past few years, he's certainly learned that it's better to wait for that player rather than sign a lesser alternative. Even if that player doesn't want to come to us, he would still prefer to wait a year for someone new to emerge. Seeing as how well we've done recently even without the players he wanted, Levy should put his faith in him and show a bit of courage instead of being the obstacle.

 

[coy-spurs1882]

Poch wasn’t bothered about having sissoko, Poch wasn’t bothered about Lucas either. Wonder who he did want.

wijnaldum and malcom?

 

[EastLondonYid]

Looks like the media finally got it right..
Poch is off to Madrid in June....

 

[Zoltar60]

Poch saying he might leave if we win, he might leave if we lose is just his way of saying that the result won't have any impact on the decision.

He seems to come out with things like this every season, always seems to be with an ulterior motive. In this case: give me a large budget otherwise I've taken Tottenham as far as I can.

That's my take on it anyway. Mind you, even if he did decide he wanted to go doesn't mean levy would allow him to leave. He blocked move to real last summer after all.

 

[Khilari]

Poch saying he might leave if we win, he might leave if we lose is just his way of saying that the result won't have any impact on the decision.

I don't blame him for saying this stuff. He's basically been made to grind this season out and it can't have been enjoyable once the injuries started racking up. Ultimately he seems the kind of guy who doesn't care as much about money and the attractions of top management than being a successful manager. He's ambitious and he'll do it with Spurs if he feels he is being supported. Perhaps he's alluding to the fact that what he has achieved has been achieved despite a lack of support.

Either way, thankfully we have one more exciting fight on our hands (assuming 4th is secure) to look forward to before the usual panic stations are manned in the summer.

 

[pablo73]

I know Trix has repeatedly said the money was there, but it is hard for me to blame Poch because we simply don't know who the secondary options that were available that Poch turned down. Yes, it is not always possible to get the first choice (DeJong, DeLigt,etc) and Poch probably does need to be more flexible there, but Levy has a history of getting players that were cheap options that turned out awful. I know people will say Janssen was Poch's choice, but by all accounts, he wanted Batshuayi first, not Janssen. The only ones I believe we know about was Tielemans (who had no buy option).

I also wonder why if the money was there, why was the Grealish move screwed up so badly?

I think Levy's history precedes him here and is why so many fans question him in regards to the past two transfer windows. Poch has does wonders and if anyone has the right to be stubborn and picky, I think it's Poch.

Exactly this. Anyone trying to pin it all on Poch has not been following Spurs very closely for the last 15 years

 

[mattyspurs]

I'm sorry but I disagree with this. While I don't deny the fact that we had money to spend, I fully blame Levy for it.

When Poch identified a player in Jack Grealish who he wanted in, it was still Levy's job to get it over the line. Having money to spend is one thing, but actually spending it is another. The problem with Levy is that unless he feels a player is truly guaranteed to be world class (ex. Modric - who at the time was one of our most expensive transfers ever; or De Jong for whom we were prepared to go all in), he starts to put his own valuation on the player, which is completely unrealistic and not in line with the prevailing market rate. And as if that's not enough he drags it out until someone else comes in. This is a massive problem and will continue to be until he either takes himself out of the negotiating process and hires a DOF or changes his strategy in terms of his own valuation of players if he still insists on being in control of transfers. It truly is incredible when investors can literally close a deal and take over an entire club in the time Levy took to finalize the JG deal.

Even before our crazy CL run, I still believed that Poch had earned the right to be stubborn and adamant in choice of players that he wanted in. When people complain about being flexible and having tier 2 targets, then I feel that they're missing the most fundamental part of Poch's planning and management of players to suit his system. Janssen for Batshuayi is a clear example of this flexibility and it did not work. We have done this time and time again and I think it's time that we close that chapter and start a new one this summer.

Going back to Poch's interview with the spanish paper earlier, it's clear he has a preferred system he'd like to play and for that he wants players of very specific qualities. And in the past few years, he's certainly learned that it's better to wait for that player rather than sign a lesser alternative. Even if that player doesn't want to come to us, he would still prefer to wait a year for someone new to emerge. Seeing as how well we've done recently even without the players he wanted, Levy should put his faith in him and show a bit of courage instead of being the obstacle.

If I remember correctly Poch doesn’t want a DOF

 

[spuradik]

If I remember correctly Poch doesn’t want a DOF

I'm not sure it's a case of 'want' versus say being not overly bothered if there isn't one.

This one's a bit tricky because when Mitchell left, I got the impression that there was an agreement between Levy and Poch, that Poch would identify the players and Levy will close the deal. Effectively what a DOF does, just that the role is split between the two. I'm not clamoring for a DOF, but if it means we don't have to deal with Levy's transfer shenanigans then it could be worth it.

 

[Colonel_Klinck]

I’m not remotely worried about him leaving if we win or lose. You could see how much he cares about these players and the fans last night. I think he’s trolling the press.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

I’m not remotely worried about him leaving if we win or lose. You could see how much he cares about these players and the fans last night. I think he’s trolling the press.

Yea it seems like he is isn’t he, kind of almost saying does it really matter what I say as you write what you want anyway, he seems exhausted by the constant questions around his future so now he’s just like well fuck it I’ll just say I’m leaving lol that’s how i took it anyway. If he does win us the CL then fair enough he may wish to end the project and chapter there and I could 1,000% see exactly why he would although it would be a huge shame if not begrudge him, but if he loses the CL final you’d like to think he’ll stay and try and win us something next season but then again he may also think I’ve done a miracle to get us to the CL final, it won’t happen again given our resources vs the other teams so now is the time to move on...

Really not sure of his motives by saying that he’s going to leave if we win it or if we lose it lol, what a mindfuck.

Then at the end of the presser the guy asks the final Q about “is Harry Kane going to be fit for the final?” Fairly reasonable question id say and he just stands up says ciao and walks out then mutters “you ask that tonight, really?”

He has the media on a string doesn’t he!

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

Sugar this morning on talk sport said he knew for a fact we had money to bolster the squad and Poch didn't want to. Thats Sugar, Glenn, most of the itk's and even Poch himself and yet still people blame Levy for not allowing him to spend.

I’d say sugar and Glenn are up there as good as ITK as you’ll ever get tbh Glenn especially he rarely says things like that so openly legend god!

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

I don't really care who didn't spend the money. I do care that we've fallen well of the pace in the title race after February as a direct result of over tired, over used players getting injured. If Poch chose not to sign anyone he needs to re-think this plan.
We need a bit of youth that we can depend all next season. Even if they're just good back ups. We can't go into games with Skipp, KWP, Foyth, Dier, *Lamela, Llorente and Davies as our subs every week.


*Lamela if fit even.

It's no good saying that was only the bench because X, Y and Z were injured. That's gonna keep happening.

Poch will have decided to not sign anyone for a reason as in the options available at that time aren’t worth it vs what could and likely will be if we wait. Also we had too many non HG players in the squad anyways so had our hands tied.

If he stays then we will have a solid summer I think.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

I remember us being all over maddison at one point I can't remember if it was last summer or the one previously.

Is Maddison really good enough for us, I don’t think he is tbh. Good young talent and strong first season in the prem but he’s not fit to lace eriskens boots and would’ve barely played for us this season if we’d signed him. I actually think grealish is better player than Maddison and hope we can sign him this summer if villa don’t go up.

 

[Mr Pink]

The bond he has with the whole squad and the emotion he showed last night, well, I find it very hard to believe he'll be going anywhere anytime soon.

But I tell you what, the way he conducts himself, and the players clearly adore him, I'm not sure where we'd go with out him.

Most important person at the Club and I hope he stays for years to come and builds a huge legacy with us.

 

[Indisguise]

I want to believe that Poch is toying with the press but he doesn't seem to be the sort of bloke that fucks around for nothing. I also don't think he'd deliberately worry the fans but it's impossible to say really. However, he keeps being directly quoted on issues relating to team investment and that says it all to me; there's any number of things he can talk about but he always ends up talking about budget restrictions.

 

[CoopsieDeadpool]

On the other hand, it is impossible that Levy is guilt free for there being no signings.

Correct. He's Poch's boss. If I was planning on doing something negligent at work, my boss would pick up on it before it was too late.

Isn't it interesting how many people say, "fucking Levy needs to fucking back Poch before we lose him", and that's exactly what Levy seems to be doing (judging by Sugar/Hoddle/ITK stuff).

And isn't it interesting how, before Poch came in, when our managers were struggling to get certain players performing, how many people used to say, "it's not fucking fair on the manager, this is a fucking Levy signing, how can the first team coach work with someone else's tools?"

So basically, back the manager you bald dwarf ****, but only if you do it our way, not actually how the manager wants it.

Yeah that's reasonable enough.

 

[CoopsieDeadpool]

I know Trix has repeatedly said the money was there, but it is hard for me to blame Poch because we simply don't know who the secondary options that were available that Poch turned down. Yes, it is not always possible to get the first choice (DeJong, DeLigt,etc) and Poch probably does need to be more flexible there, but Levy has a history of getting players that were cheap options that turned out awful. I know people will say Janssen was Poch's choice, but by all accounts, he wanted Batshuayi first, not Janssen. The only ones I believe we know about was Tielemans (who had no buy option).

I also wonder why if the money was there, why was the Grealish move screwed up so badly?

I think Levy's history precedes him here and is why so many fans question him in regards to the past two transfer windows. Poch has does wonders and if anyone has the right to be stubborn and picky, I think it's Poch.

We don't know the players, but I very much doubt that Poch says he wants a player, the club try to sign him, fail, and then go back to Poch with another option.

I can't pretend to know how the fuck it works or is done. But I find it impossible to not believe that there's a list of targets drawn up, fully discussed, agreed & then that list is worked upon.

If I'm right, it would mean Poch would've (obviously) been in the list discussion, and would know exactly who option B could/would be.

 

[Jody]

The bond he has with the whole squad and the emotion he showed last night, well, I find it very hard to believe he'll be going anywhere anytime soon.

But I tell you what, the way he conducts himself, and the players clearly adore him, I'm not sure where we'd go with out him.

Most important person at the Club and I hope he stays for years to come and builds a huge legacy with us.

Couldn't agree more. The fact that only 2 days ago he said this...

"Daniel Levy did not want to accept any of the bids made for me. But I could not have broken my contract, I cannot behave like that. If my president thinks and feels that I have to continue here, I am not going to leave. Those are not my principles. Why would any team sign a manager that breaks his contracts?”

...suggests he clearly had enough of answering these daft questions and will not be going anywhere.

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

Isn't it interesting how many people say, "fucking Levy needs to fucking back Poch before we lose him", and that's exactly what Levy seems to be doing (judging by Sugar/Hoddle/ITK stuff).

And isn't it interesting how, before Poch came in, when our managers were struggling to get certain players performing, how many people used to say, "it's not fucking fair on the manager, this is a fucking Levy signing, how can the first team coach work with someone else's tools?"

So basically, back the manager you bald dwarf ****, but only if you do it our way, not actually how the manager wants it.

Yeah that's reasonable enough.

I just don't understand why there always must be a battle between either blaming Levy or Pochettino, when both must have contributed to only weakening the squad.

 

[midoshairband]

i’m actually quite critical of some of the things Poch has said - but this time he’s spot on. i see it as him saying it doesn’t matter what i say, the press don’t listen and write what they want anyway.

it’s hilarious how the press have reacted - they’ve shite themselves. they literally don’t know what to do with his quotes because they don’t know if he’s serious.

they have direct quotes from him about leaving, yet they’re getting a lot less press coverage than his denials/refusal to answer during the Man Utd shit storm. quite brilliant.