The Mauricio Pochettino thread

[rez9000]

Nor the Independent’s.


Anyone want the lottery numbers?

If anything's going to be embargoed, it'll be that!

 

['O Zio]

This is the quote that spells it all out nice and clearly to Levy:

"I saw a stat that in the last 10 years we were bottom of the spending list in Europe. We are doing a fantastic job but if we want to be real contenders we need to operate in a different way in the future."

I don't know what list he's talking about but that can't possibly be true.

Also again it comes down to the stupid way people look at transfer spend as if it's just a completely separate entity to the rest of the world. The money we spend on transfers doesn't exist in isolation in it's own little bubble, it's one aspect of a multi-builion pound company's financial statement. In the last 10 years we probably haven't had that much net spend on transfers but over the past 10 years we've been investing huge amounts of money in infrastructure at the club like the training ground, stadium etc. etc. so by the time you look at it all together rather than cherry picking the transfer budget out of it, then we've actually spent quite a lot of money. Other clubs may have spent more on transfers but failed to invest in their training facilities in order to accomodate that etc.

 

[Singayid]

This is the quote that spells it all out nice and clearly to Levy:

"I saw a stat that in the last 10 years we were bottom of the spending list in Europe. We are doing a fantastic job but if we want to be real contenders we need to operate in a different way in the future."

I think you've highlighted the wrong words. I think it should be "in the last 10 years" & "operate in a different way in the future"

He's saying we've done brilliantly to be where we are (CL, stadium etc) but to move FORWARD from here for PL title, CL winner we need to operate a new model

That may always have been the plan - "hey lads, lets get the stadium finished so we can host regular CL, then we replan for the next 5-10yrs"

 

[rez9000]

Just try and relax and enjoyed the ride. I'm pretty confident that Poch will be around for a while yet providing we remain on the same progressive arc. Any comments can be interpreted a number of ways dependant on your bias and mindset. My brother read the same quotes and believes Poch is saying that he loves the theory behind staying for 20 years but, looking at what happened to Wenger, it may not be a good idea or sustainable. Just depends on your bias. My brother is an Arsenal fan!

You have my, and I'm sure all our, sympathies.

 

[Shadydan]

I don't know what list he's talking about but that can't possibly be true.

Also again it comes down to the stupid way people look at transfer spend as if it's just a completely separate entity to the rest of the world. The money we spend on transfers doesn't exist in isolation in it's own little bubble, it's one aspect of a multi-builion pound company's financial statement. In the last 10 years we probably haven't had that much net spend on transfers but over the past 10 years we've been investing huge amounts of money in infrastructure at the club like the training ground, stadium etc. etc. so by the time you look at it all together rather than cherry picking the transfer budget out of it, then we've actually spent quite a lot of money. Other clubs may have spent more on transfers but failed to invest in their training facilities in order to accomodate that etc.

The stat is about spending money on players, not infrastructure though, I think that's the actual point.

 

[GMI]

You have my, and I'm sure all our, sympathies.

He's a decent sort generally. I'm not a gloater which actually makes it more enjoyable. Just offering a knowing, dignified, smile does more than any banter.

Funnily he used to always bang on about how great they were (and they were good at times). Recently he has been focusing on highlighting:

a) Their Ladies Team;
b) The magnificent youth players they have and beleive it or not,
c) Their great charity work!

He also is convinced that Sky, and the media in general, hate Arsenal and that Spurs are the 'media darlings' that the press suck up to, which is interesting given some of the chat in this thread. Perspective, bias and the colour of your tinted glasses.

However he will never say a bad word about Poch so there's that.

 

[thelak]

I think a lot can be read into his quotes about Wenger that a lot of people aren't even foucsing on.

Poch will not only demand respect from his employers and players but from the fans too.

As long as there is no Arsenal Fam TV equivalent we should be ok!

 

[Blackrat1299]

I’ll give you a prediction.

Poch won’t be our manager in 20 years time.

Can you give me next weeks lottery numbers?

 

[Indisguise]

I don't know what list he's talking about but that can't possibly be true.

Also again it comes down to the stupid way people look at transfer spend as if it's just a completely separate entity to the rest of the world. The money we spend on transfers doesn't exist in isolation in it's own little bubble, it's one aspect of a multi-builion pound company's financial statement. In the last 10 years we probably haven't had that much net spend on transfers but over the past 10 years we've been investing huge amounts of money in infrastructure at the club like the training ground, stadium etc. etc. so by the time you look at it all together rather than cherry picking the transfer budget out of it, then we've actually spent quite a lot of money. Other clubs may have spent more on transfers but failed to invest in their training facilities in order to accomodate that etc.

Whatever list he's talking about, it's the one that matters to him as far as investment in players is concerned and I think we have to rely on the fact that Poch knows what he's talking about. He's clearly not going to lie about it is he and nor is he stupid! Levy himself has said that player investment has nothing to do with infrastructure/stadium investment.

 

[EastLondonYid]

So debate it then. If you have a problem with something I say then let me know. Otherwise, let's talk about what is going on with the club. I see no value in just regurgitating the same story line over and over again.

In the recent press conference Poch gave us a little insight into the objectives of the club. It was probably quite obvious that the short-term objective would have been to have CL in the new stadium. It seems that a concerted effort to push for trophies is in the plans once the stadium is open.

I think that if you listen to what Poch is saying with the mindset that he's fighting the Spurs board then you will always end up hearing what you want. Likewise, if you listen thinking only about the positives then you can cherry pick a few words to make things look fine. My point is that Poch is responding to press questions in these things... it's not a message to the board, it's to the fans and media, despite that comment from JJ in my opinion.

Poch's in a tough place. He's been hired to get us into the CL in the new stadium but the press are constantly on him for not winning silverware yet. I think that his latest comments are basically explaining that it's incredibly tough to win trophies with our current spending but he isn't under pressure himself because his job isn't to deliver that just at this moment. That would seem to tie in with the comments about him getting fired if he had won the Carabao but not got CL... even though that was a bit more tongue-in-cheek. To some extent it ties in with this 20-year thing too.

Football is a weird environment at the moment. We get a 20 minute Q&A from the manager every few days which is reported in various ways by the media and then has further "expert analysis" from the likes of Paul Merson and Craig Bellamy. It's a funny way to share the information but that's what we've got. But behind the scenes there are professional and serious people working together on the short, medium and long term stuff. It's important (I think) to be able to step back from the media circus and avoid being sucked in to the sensationalism of it all.

This, this and this... Spot on m8

 

[E17yid]

Can you give me next weeks lottery numbers?

I could but I won’t.

 

['O Zio]

The stat is about spending money on players, not infrastructure though, I think that's the actual point.

I understand that, but what I'm saying is that I think it's a daft way to look at it. Cherry picking the transfer spend and removing it from the context of all the other investment going on at the club only to say "Spurs are stingy and don't spend money" is just misrepresenting the situation. If we'd spent nothing on the infrastructure or transfers then I'd say it's a valid point, but because we've deliberately chosen to invest the money elsewhere as part of a long-term strategy, the point makes no sense.

And like I say, regarding us having the lowest net spend in Europe that's just complete and utter bollocks, there's absolutely no way teams like Augsburg, Leganes, Guingamp etc. have a higher net spend than we do let alone teams from the Slovakian league etc. for Christ's sake. It's just simply not true.

 

['O Zio]

Whatever list he's talking about, it's the one that matters to him as far as investment in players is concerned and I think we have to rely on the fact that Poch knows what he's talking about. He's clearly not going to lie about it is he and nor is he stupid! Levy himself has said that player investment has nothing to do with infrastructure/stadium investment.

I never said he's lying or stupid, I'm just saying if there's a list somewhere on Buzzfeed or whatever that says we have the lowest net spend in Europe then that list is wrong. I take your point that if he feels we don't spend enough on players then that's ultimately what matter though even if it's not right.

Regarding Levy I think people misinterpret what he said to be honest. He's basically said that our transfer budget would remain ring-fenced but given that we usually don't spend much all that means is that we'll carry on not spending much while the stadium is being built, so we won't have any less of a transfer budget but that doesn't automatically mean we'll have any more of one either. Also regardless of what he says publicly, at the end of the day it still comes back to my original point that the transfer budget does not exist in isolation to the rest of the club's finances. It's quite clearly all linked just as it is an any clubs and/or company and it makes no sense to think otherwise.

 

[dimiSpur]

Poch and this team are the ultimate victims of their own success. We are consistently overachieving based on financial muscle, to the point where the only thing people talk about is pushing even higher and winning the league. It is indeed the final hurdle. And that's what Poch is saying. That the next level cannot be reached by staying as we are, not buying anyone in the summer windows and working on a budget whereby Eriksen can be lured away by clubs that can offer the double of what we can in wages.

So those quotes about a different model, in my opinion, is him getting frustrated. Frustrated that instead of being viewed only as a massive success story, his job at Spurs is consistently being criticised for not winning titles. So he's calmly reminding everyone that to win titles, you need that final push. That ability to say "yes Trippier's good, but here's £35m for that world class right back we need". The final pieces to the jigsaw that is a title winning Tottenham side, is a few 50-60m pound players. And we cannot go and do that at present.

I for one, completely understand what he is saying and where he is coming from. The media are clueless and report like 15 year old Arsenal fans on Twitter would report things.

 

[EastLondonYid]

Poch and this team are the ultimate victims of their own success. We are consistently overachieving based on financial muscle, to the point where the only thing people talk about is pushing even higher and winning the league. It is indeed the final hurdle. And that's what Poch is saying. That the next level cannot be reached by staying as we are, not buying anyone in the summer windows and working on a budget whereby Eriksen can be lured away by clubs that can offer the double of what we can in wages.

So those quotes about a different model, in my opinion, is him getting frustrated. Frustrated that instead of being viewed only as a massive success story, his job at Spurs is consistently being criticised for not winning titles. So he's calmly reminding everyone that to win titles, you need that final push. That ability to say "yes Trippier's good, but here's £35m for that world class right back we need". The final pieces to the jigshaw that is a title winning Tottenham side, is a few 50-60m pound players. And we cannot go and do that at present.

I for one, completely understand what he is saying and where he is coming from. The media are clueless and report like 15 year old Arsenal fans on Twitter would report things.

Bet they can spell jigsaw...

 

[dimiSpur]

Bet they can spell jigsaw...

 

[EastLondonYid]

Stop filtering through my old posts looking for fuck ups .

 

[Shadydan]

I understand that, but what I'm saying is that I think it's a daft way to look at it. Cherry picking the transfer spend and removing it from the context of all the other investment going on at the club only to say "Spurs are stingy and don't spend money" is just misrepresenting the situation. If we'd spent nothing on the infrastructure or transfers then I'd say it's a valid point, but because we've deliberately chosen to invest the money elsewhere as part of a long-term strategy, the point makes no sense.

And like I say, regarding us having the lowest net spend in Europe that's just complete and utter bollocks, there's absolutely no way teams like Augsburg, Leganes, Guingamp etc. have a higher net spend than we do let alone teams from the Slovakian league etc. for Christ's sake. It's just simply not true.

Dude I think you're missing the point about how a stat is meant to work. Stats are taken in isolation and focuses on the main point being made, so how much we spent on infrastructure is irrelevant because the stat is about transfer spend not what you have interpreted what we've spent and where. There is literally no other context to remove it from because it's about transfer spend, you don't need to bring other factors in because it totally misses the original point.

And whether it's true or not - I don't think it's true anyway, I think he's probably referring to the league - I saw a stat saying that we have the lowest net spend in the last 5 years or something like that.

 

[Indisguise]

If you say "I don't know what list he's talking about but that can't possibly be true" it implies the opposite so indirectly you were saying that his statement wasn't true. However, I take your point now that it wasn't what you actually meant.

"Regarding Levy I think people misinterpret what he said to be honest. He's basically said that our transfer budget would remain ring-fenced but given that we usually don't spend much all that means is that we'll carry on not spending much while the stadium is being built, so we won't have any less of a transfer budget but that doesn't automatically mean we'll have any more of one either. Also regardless of what he says publicly, at the end of the day it still comes back to my original point that the transfer budget does not exist in isolation to the rest of the club's finances. It's quite clearly all linked just as it is an any clubs and/or company and it makes no sense to think otherwise. "

This is all a bit pointless because the matter at hand is what Poch thinks. If the Club continues to make inadequate investment in players then Poch is going to consider his options. That to me is as clear as day otherwise what's the point in saying it at all?

 

[dontcallme]

Have just seen the press conference in full.

In my view Poch came across as happy at Spurs and with the players.

Didn’t see any sign of an ultimatum or him thinking we have to spend huge to win titles. Though he did say we could win the occasional one under the current model.

But to compete we need to change up. Some will see this as the need to spend on par with City but I don’t necessarily see that as what he was saying.

Poch is tactical and we need to find a tactic to compete.