The Mauricio Pochettino thread

[For the love of Spurs]

We wouldn’t be where we are without Levy.

Absolute travesty to say otherwise. We have arguably the best stadium and training ground in world football. To say he hasnt been backed is a bit far fetched. ITKs have said Poch’s own targets have been unrealistic and there has been no compromise

Stadium is all nice but the squad was allowed to go stale. Like Poch, Levy and ENIC have hit the glass ceiling, time for them to sell up.

 

[wrd]

When you put it like that my first thought is Kane

Judging by his reactions at certain moments during the last 5/6 games I'd wager heavily on it being Kane.

 

[dondo]

Although that was a bad decision our form was problematic before then.

It started with the demise then departure of Dembele imo, not help by Diers form and Wanyamas injuries.
We used to be so strong in central midfield, now you could waltz through them

 

[srups34]

This happens when the players do not trust or respect their manager any more. And it is not always a conscious and deliberate thing, it usually happens over several months where performances get worse and worse to the point of no return. For example:

• Before last season we had the best away record in the league over the preceding 3 seasons. We haven't won away in the league since January. 9 months ago.
• We have only won 6 of our last 20 league games.
• Our league form in 2019 to date is P25 W11 D3 L11- that's 36 points from 25 games! And we won 6 of the first 7 of those games! The rot set in during February.

How much longer do you give the manager when our squad of 25 players, full of international players, is getting those kind of results?

You can criticise the players, yes, but the solution is changing the manager.

With so many of these 1st 11 players running down their contracts and looking to leave then maybe it would be better to stick with the manager and begin the rebuild from January.

 

[Timberwolf]

The ENIC stuff is a conversation for another time. We've just build the best stadium in the country and (finally) invested a decent sum in the squad. Levy and ENIC certainly have their faults, and the problems we have are in part down to transfer and contract dealings, but there's no point crying "ENIC Out" - they're not going anywhere anytime soon and there's nowhere near enough anti-ENIC sentiment to get a fan movement going.

What we can do is try to fix what's on the pitch and that revolves around Poch and the players.

 

[Coco-1101]

If it's player agents feeding the ITKs then I'm not interested tbh. They'll say anything to deflect blame from their prized clients who have let their manager down this season.

THIS

 

[dondo]

Can allegri speak English?

He is learning apparently

 

[winster]

This only ends one way. People can debate whether it is a Poch or Levy issue but Levy won't sack himself!

 

[Trix]

All we hear all summer is how much agents lie and they are snakes and now we are supposed to believe them when they supposedly slag poch off ha.

They aren't slagging Poch off, they are passing on what their players are saying is happening/being said. In my case anyway.

People have to remember this isn't something that's just happened it's been building and picking up pace for a long time.

The players are low on confidence and have a lack of belief in what they are being asked to do. This brings doubt on the pitch and it's impossible to play like a coherent team.

 

[Timberwolf]

He is learning apparently

I saw an interview of him trying to speak English about a year ago. He wasn't great but he was certainly no worse than Poch was when he first joined Southampton and maybe Spurs. If he's been studying this past year he'll be fine.

 

[NickHSpurs]

Perhaps Poch just doesn’t have what it takes to take that next step into becoming an elite manager, there’s no shame in that and he’s obviously a very very good manager but just falls short in terms of experience, tactical knowledge and being that ruthless winner to take us and himself that next level.

I think he’s just reached a ceiling personally at this stage in his career.

We should always be thankful for him for making us a consist top four side, for the unbeaten final season at the old WHL and last seasons CL run but all good things come to an end.

Poch was the right fit at the right time when we employed him, the fact that we’ve possibly reached the stage where we need an elite manager to take us to the next level is testament to him.

In time and with the right appointment we will look back at Poch as fondly as we do Martin Jol, as a manager who helped take us another level and put us on the road to progress but reached a ceiling and came up JUST short in the end.

 

[Coco-1101]

They aren't slagging Poch off, they are passing on what their players are saying is happening/being said. In my case anyway.

People have to remember this isn't something that's just happened it's been building and picking up pace for a long time.

The players are low on confidence and have a lack of belief in what they are being asked to do. This brings doubt on the pitch and it's impossible to play like a coherent team.

Why don't they listen to manager and do as they are asked. If not then its the big problem. AS the fav of SC are allegri and mourinho. Both play with boring style and will they complain again ?

 

[For the love of Spurs]

They aren't slagging Poch off, they are passing on what their players are saying is happening/being said. In my case anyway.

People have to remember this isn't something that's just happened it's been building and picking up pace for a long time.

The players are low on confidence and have a lack of belief in what they are being asked to do. This brings doubt on the pitch and it's impossible to play like a coherent team.

Let’s say tomorrow he goes and we get someone in, would there be a immediate and dramatic change in performance do you feel?

 

[knowlespurs]

They aren't slagging Poch off, they are passing on what their players are saying is happening/being said. In my case anyway.

People have to remember this isn't something that's just happened it's been building and picking up pace for a long time.

The players are low on confidence and have a lack of belief in what they are being asked to do. This brings doubt on the pitch and it's impossible to play like a coherent team.

Agreed this isn’t a recent thing, we have been poor for a year

 

[Hakkz]

Perhaps Poch just doesn’t have what it takes to take that next step into becoming an elite manager, there’s no shame in that and he’s obviously a very very good manager but just falls short in terms of experience, tactical knowledge and being that ruthless winner to take us and himself that next level.

I think he’s just reached a ceiling personally at this stage in his career.

We should always be thankful for him for making us a consist top four side, for the unbeaten final season at the old WHL and last seasons CL run but all good things come to an end.

Poch was the right fit at the right time when we employed him, the fact that we’ve possibly reached the stage where we need an elite manager to take us to the next level is testament to him.

In time and with the right appointment we will look back at Poch as fondly as we do Martin Jol, as a manager who helped take us another level and put us on the road to progress but reached a ceiling and came up JUST short in the end.

He always performed better as an up-and-coming underdog.

 

[spids]

There has been lots of negative influences over the last 2 years and the blame sits at more than one door ...

• Poch wrote a book about his current players.
• We have moved stadium twice in two years.
• We suffered badly from a WC hangover last season, with 9 players involved in the WC Semi Finals and missed pre-season, followed by an injury plagued season with a much lower intensity in our playing style (which has not recovered despite a full pre-season this year)
• We went two windows without signing any players and ended up with a very stale squad.
• Levy allowed several senior players to reach the last year of their contracts (Toby, Eriksen, Verts).
• We didn't move on several players who have admitted they wanted out (Rose, Aurier, Eriksen).
• We took too long to move on players who were not wanted or past their best (Jansen, GKN Wanyama).
• Poch said a few days before the CL final he would leave if we won.
• Poch flirted with other clubs in the media Madrid and Man U.
• Poch keeps picking players who (a) want to leave and/or (b) are bang out of form (Eriksen, Alderweireld etc.)

When you add all that up it seems inevitable that we'd got to pot this season, and the writing has been on the wall since February

 

[Spurs_Bear]

Hilarious to think that a new guy comes in and all of a sudden Alderweireld gains 2 yards of pace that he’s lost in the last 12 months, or Ndombele stops being a stone overweight, or Lloris (get well soon skip) stops being a useless ****.

It’s been fun and emotional Poch, all the best in whatever your new role is.

Time for a new cab off the rank to take the heat off Teflon Dan.

Levy, you’re a fucking **** mate.

 

[1882andallthat]

We can speculate as much as we like, but we all know which way this is heading. The point at which Levy comes to the conclusion that he thinks that we don't look like qualifying for the knockout stages of the CL and top 4, we know what happens next, whoever is to blame.....

 

[midoshairband]

I feel for Poch. he quite clearly knew this was the end of this side. he’s been angling for a way for a while, but also quite clearly stated the squad needed an overhaul. that didn’t happen for whatever reason (probably best for another thread), but the only thing we can now change is him. its 10 months of terrible terrible form. his insistance on this stupid diamond, and some bizarre selections, tactics, and media soundbites hasn’t helped him. and in that respect, its him to blame.

 

[VancouverSpur]

Poch will not walk and I cant see Levy sacking him. So we will limp on for a while I think.