Bus-Conductor
SC Supporter
- Oct 19, 2004
- 39,837
- 50,713
Dear @thinktank
You may remember, way back when we were having a mass debate (ooh er) about who to appoint next my take was that though I was happy with Pochettino, my preference was for FDB. These were some of my comments:
May 2014:
I was really hoping for FDB, who just seemed like a perfect fit for us and had winning in his DNA.
But I am happy with Pochettino. He's got clear ideas, works hard on the training ground to get those ideas across, and they are visible on match days. His teams press well, attack with tempo, and he believes in looking after the football. He is happy to trust young players. Lots of positives. I think his system needs tweaking a little, needs to work for 90 minutes not just 60, but I'm genuinely excited to see him go to work at our club.
And
You have won me over Mr Tank. I am now officially as excited about Pocettino as I am FDB. I don't care if I don't enjoy the last 30 minutes of any games, I am going to enjoy the fucking shit out of the first 60. And I am going to enjoy the fucking bejesus out of knowing what he's doing on the training ground twice a day. Hell, I'd rather have a season ticket for training.
So I was on board, but I definitely didn't have @thinktank's unwavering conviction.
Then on February 7 2015 Pochettino delivered probably my favourite Spurs leagues performances of maybe my lifetime, but certainly the last two decades, this is how I described it:
The Quan
OK, it's been a while coming, but I've finally ordered my revolutionary beret. I don't know whether it's going to be a glorious revolution or we are going to end up with great health service but clunking around in 50's cars living in egalitarian poverty but I'm along for the ride.
We finally did something today, in a league game, that I've been waiting for since Wenger arrived, we beat Arsenal properly. I don't just mean deserved to win the game on balance, or made more chances, or edged a good game, I mean we were better in every single way and for 90 minutes. We've outplayed them a few of times before in league games, but not got the result. We've got the result but been awful. We've edged a couple. skanked a couple. But we've never outplayed them with so much panache, so much aggression and tempo. Today we were not just better in every way, we were outstanding in every way.
The most important way was our competitiveness all over the pitch. I'm loving this new aggressiveness to our collective game. Even Eriksen is leaving a foot in.
People have talked about our fitness, and I'm sure this is playing an important role, but I think even more important this season has been the change in our collective attitude. I said earlier in the season, after the Villa game where Mason and Lamela got nasty on Benteke and effectively turned the game, that there is a beautifully nasty competitive streak growing in this team, I see it all over the pitch, in every position almost. Even The aforementioned Eriksen is pressing and tackling.
That team was perfect for me. Football in every area, busy ****edness in every area. Really liked the balance of skills. There are no passengers in this team. Every single one of them stand up to be counted. No hiders. But you then have to apply them, and we did. From the first minute to the last we out worked them, out moved them, out pressed them, out passed them, out footballed them and out fucking scored them.
This was the best game of football we've played for a very long time. The most complete. Maybe even better than Milan away.
From the first minute there was a tempo about our play. We pressed them high and got behind them frequently. And our pressing was cohesive and in swarms. Our passing was progressive and had zip. Unfortunately the final execution was the only thing that spoilt the first half. Rose had an extremely good half and was constantly threatening down the left, getting in behind their defence on three occasions but wasting it with poor delivery. Walker similarly got into acres of space behind their defence and blipped the first man, as he frequently does. These two provide the pace and width and intention, but both suffer from a lack of composure in the heat of the moment. Rose is marginally better than Walker in all aspects, but he must improve his final ball.
It was an utter travesty that we found ourselves a goal behind to an offside, flukey, mishit shot.
I was wondering if it was possible to play with the same intensity in the second half, worried that we may burn out and find ourselves vulnerable to Arsenal's clever, quick brained footballers.
I needn't have worried, although the second half wasn't quite as furious, it was still one sided and we continued to do most of the good things we'd done in the first. Kept working, kept pressing, kept playing.
Mason had a typically frenetic and erratic first 25 minutes, he was tearing around like loon, flying into tackles and when he needed to be composed and play that clever, incisive pass he got it wrong. But he settled and was, from there on in, outstanding. Still covering ground, but making better decisions and helping to dictate the tempo.
I thought this game may come too soon for Bentaleb, but he was superb too, bringing that steely composure. Eriksen, Dembele and Lamela all worked their nuts off, dropping and helping the midfield and defenders when required and all seeing plenty of ball and all making pretty good decisions most of the time.
The two CB's were superb. Both strong, competitive, but both comfortable with a ball at their feet. I think this is potentially the best CB partnership we've had for many, many years.
And then there was Kane. That goal last week against West Brom stuck in my mind all week. I just couldn't remember when we last had a player who scored a goal like that. That little shift and then the sheer power he drilled it with past Foster. it didn't even go in a corner, it was just so ferocious he couldn't move. Then today he pops up in the malaise of a corner scramble and calmly side foots it in, then following a good cross from Bentaleb, hangs like big arian salmon and nods one back into the top corner. He should have played Eriksen in first half instead of shooting, but otherwise this was your typical, all action Kane Performance.
The guy has just evolved into this uber striker in front of our very eyes, it's like watching you're kid grow up in 6 months, he's gone from baby stumbly steps to driving a car whilst doing The Times crossword and reciting shakespear in half a season. Bambi to Steve Austin in a dozen games.
It is impossible to pick out a revolutionary who deserves MOTM more than his comrade from this game, so there can only be one winner, Che Poch. Great team, great tactics, he delivered that rarest of things for a team like us.
The perfect game.
So I was in, hook line and sinker. Post February was a bit disappointing, beaten in the cup final, fizzled out of a CL challenge, and In the summer there were still dissenting voices. But I'd seen the signs, and for the record I clearly advocated we back the guy even if the season wasn't great:
Sep 01 2015
We may go through some more transition, but if we struggle and finish lower than eighth but get these kids moving in a year or two we'll have our own Sterling's and Martial's. If we finish lower than eighth and Levy sticks by Pochettino and preservers with and supports the philosophy, I'll chip another £50 in to SC, by way of putting my money where my mouth is.
I offer the above as evidence that this isn't me jumping on the current big Pochettino suck off band wagon. And this post isn't actually about giving dues to Pochettino (but just for thinktank I will in a minute).
This place is all about opinions and I like people that stick their neck on the line and actually have one (instead of spending most of it lecturing us why we shouldn't - cough cough - my favourite sports quant mogul) so this is me saying you @thinktank (and your backing singers like @Mr Pink) who stuck your bollocks on the block and were absolutely convinced Pochettino would be the man were bang fucking right.
He's not perfect (no manager is), I still think he has a twighlight zone between 60 and 80 minutes of games, and I will still grumble about shit he does ("it's who I am Gayle" - winner rating if you get this reference). I've been supporting this team for about 43 of my 50 years, and I think he's the best coach/manager we've had.
I am fucking loving this guy.
You may remember, way back when we were having a mass debate (ooh er) about who to appoint next my take was that though I was happy with Pochettino, my preference was for FDB. These were some of my comments:
May 2014:
I was really hoping for FDB, who just seemed like a perfect fit for us and had winning in his DNA.
But I am happy with Pochettino. He's got clear ideas, works hard on the training ground to get those ideas across, and they are visible on match days. His teams press well, attack with tempo, and he believes in looking after the football. He is happy to trust young players. Lots of positives. I think his system needs tweaking a little, needs to work for 90 minutes not just 60, but I'm genuinely excited to see him go to work at our club.
And
You have won me over Mr Tank. I am now officially as excited about Pocettino as I am FDB. I don't care if I don't enjoy the last 30 minutes of any games, I am going to enjoy the fucking shit out of the first 60. And I am going to enjoy the fucking bejesus out of knowing what he's doing on the training ground twice a day. Hell, I'd rather have a season ticket for training.
So I was on board, but I definitely didn't have @thinktank's unwavering conviction.
Then on February 7 2015 Pochettino delivered probably my favourite Spurs leagues performances of maybe my lifetime, but certainly the last two decades, this is how I described it:
The Quan
OK, it's been a while coming, but I've finally ordered my revolutionary beret. I don't know whether it's going to be a glorious revolution or we are going to end up with great health service but clunking around in 50's cars living in egalitarian poverty but I'm along for the ride.
We finally did something today, in a league game, that I've been waiting for since Wenger arrived, we beat Arsenal properly. I don't just mean deserved to win the game on balance, or made more chances, or edged a good game, I mean we were better in every single way and for 90 minutes. We've outplayed them a few of times before in league games, but not got the result. We've got the result but been awful. We've edged a couple. skanked a couple. But we've never outplayed them with so much panache, so much aggression and tempo. Today we were not just better in every way, we were outstanding in every way.
The most important way was our competitiveness all over the pitch. I'm loving this new aggressiveness to our collective game. Even Eriksen is leaving a foot in.
People have talked about our fitness, and I'm sure this is playing an important role, but I think even more important this season has been the change in our collective attitude. I said earlier in the season, after the Villa game where Mason and Lamela got nasty on Benteke and effectively turned the game, that there is a beautifully nasty competitive streak growing in this team, I see it all over the pitch, in every position almost. Even The aforementioned Eriksen is pressing and tackling.
That team was perfect for me. Football in every area, busy ****edness in every area. Really liked the balance of skills. There are no passengers in this team. Every single one of them stand up to be counted. No hiders. But you then have to apply them, and we did. From the first minute to the last we out worked them, out moved them, out pressed them, out passed them, out footballed them and out fucking scored them.
This was the best game of football we've played for a very long time. The most complete. Maybe even better than Milan away.
From the first minute there was a tempo about our play. We pressed them high and got behind them frequently. And our pressing was cohesive and in swarms. Our passing was progressive and had zip. Unfortunately the final execution was the only thing that spoilt the first half. Rose had an extremely good half and was constantly threatening down the left, getting in behind their defence on three occasions but wasting it with poor delivery. Walker similarly got into acres of space behind their defence and blipped the first man, as he frequently does. These two provide the pace and width and intention, but both suffer from a lack of composure in the heat of the moment. Rose is marginally better than Walker in all aspects, but he must improve his final ball.
It was an utter travesty that we found ourselves a goal behind to an offside, flukey, mishit shot.
I was wondering if it was possible to play with the same intensity in the second half, worried that we may burn out and find ourselves vulnerable to Arsenal's clever, quick brained footballers.
I needn't have worried, although the second half wasn't quite as furious, it was still one sided and we continued to do most of the good things we'd done in the first. Kept working, kept pressing, kept playing.
Mason had a typically frenetic and erratic first 25 minutes, he was tearing around like loon, flying into tackles and when he needed to be composed and play that clever, incisive pass he got it wrong. But he settled and was, from there on in, outstanding. Still covering ground, but making better decisions and helping to dictate the tempo.
I thought this game may come too soon for Bentaleb, but he was superb too, bringing that steely composure. Eriksen, Dembele and Lamela all worked their nuts off, dropping and helping the midfield and defenders when required and all seeing plenty of ball and all making pretty good decisions most of the time.
The two CB's were superb. Both strong, competitive, but both comfortable with a ball at their feet. I think this is potentially the best CB partnership we've had for many, many years.
And then there was Kane. That goal last week against West Brom stuck in my mind all week. I just couldn't remember when we last had a player who scored a goal like that. That little shift and then the sheer power he drilled it with past Foster. it didn't even go in a corner, it was just so ferocious he couldn't move. Then today he pops up in the malaise of a corner scramble and calmly side foots it in, then following a good cross from Bentaleb, hangs like big arian salmon and nods one back into the top corner. He should have played Eriksen in first half instead of shooting, but otherwise this was your typical, all action Kane Performance.
The guy has just evolved into this uber striker in front of our very eyes, it's like watching you're kid grow up in 6 months, he's gone from baby stumbly steps to driving a car whilst doing The Times crossword and reciting shakespear in half a season. Bambi to Steve Austin in a dozen games.
It is impossible to pick out a revolutionary who deserves MOTM more than his comrade from this game, so there can only be one winner, Che Poch. Great team, great tactics, he delivered that rarest of things for a team like us.
The perfect game.
So I was in, hook line and sinker. Post February was a bit disappointing, beaten in the cup final, fizzled out of a CL challenge, and In the summer there were still dissenting voices. But I'd seen the signs, and for the record I clearly advocated we back the guy even if the season wasn't great:
Sep 01 2015
We may go through some more transition, but if we struggle and finish lower than eighth but get these kids moving in a year or two we'll have our own Sterling's and Martial's. If we finish lower than eighth and Levy sticks by Pochettino and preservers with and supports the philosophy, I'll chip another £50 in to SC, by way of putting my money where my mouth is.
I offer the above as evidence that this isn't me jumping on the current big Pochettino suck off band wagon. And this post isn't actually about giving dues to Pochettino (but just for thinktank I will in a minute).
This place is all about opinions and I like people that stick their neck on the line and actually have one (instead of spending most of it lecturing us why we shouldn't - cough cough - my favourite sports quant mogul) so this is me saying you @thinktank (and your backing singers like @Mr Pink) who stuck your bollocks on the block and were absolutely convinced Pochettino would be the man were bang fucking right.
He's not perfect (no manager is), I still think he has a twighlight zone between 60 and 80 minutes of games, and I will still grumble about shit he does ("it's who I am Gayle" - winner rating if you get this reference). I've been supporting this team for about 43 of my 50 years, and I think he's the best coach/manager we've had.
I am fucking loving this guy.
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