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Brave New World: Inside Pochettino's Spurs

kaz Hirai

Well-Known Member
Nov 5, 2008
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ENJOY!

curtsey of www.planetfootball.com

Here are 10 of the most interesting things we learnt about Pochettino and Spurs:

1) Bravery is at the heart of the Pochettino philosophy

There is a good reason Balague chose the title “Brave New World” for this book. The word “bravery” is probably the most common word in this biography, uttered by Pochettino whenever he talks about creating a winning mentality, the drive for self-improvement, and his tactical preparations. For the Spurs manager, tactics and mentality go hand in hand.

Tactically, the book merely confirms what we have already witnessed by watching Spurs over the last three years.

Pochettino and his assistants demand constant movement in every training session, with the idea being to “provoke a controlled disorder, to create so much movement that it distresses the opposition”.



This is true both on the ball and off the ball: “The players have told me since that, even today, they still hear Jesus [Poch’s assistant] yelling out ‘press, press, press’ in their dreams.”

Pochettino believes this requires immense bravery, which is something he constantly demands of his players and discusses in great detail throughout the book.

2) He wants to manage England one day

Having coached 15 of the last 30 England debutants, there is surely nobody in world football better suited to the national job, and the good news for England fans is that Pochettino is keen to take up the challenge.

“If I were to move into international management one day, I’d relish the opportunity to coach the England national team,” he says, before praising the hard work young English players put into improving their game.

3) He also had problems with Luke Shaw

Pochettino was left disappointed by the attitude of Luke Shaw when he brought him through from the academy at Southampton.

Although ultimately enjoying a good relationship as Shaw’s work-rate improved, the Argentine’s comments help shed some light on Jose Mourinho’s treatment of the young left-back.

“I felt his head was not in the right place to make the sacrifices and decisions that are necessary at that age,” Pochettino says.

Shaw had been frequently visiting London during his time with Southampton and broke a promise to Pochettino by continuing to travel to the capital after a long heart-to-heart. Suddenly Mourinho’s attitude towards Shaw makes more sense…


4) The key to his excellent man-management is reviving players’ love for the sport

Pochettino’s motivational skills have been key to the dramatic self-improvement we have seen in Spurs players over the last three years. The core principle of his pep talks, or so it would seem from Balague’s book, is to reignite their love for the sport with long, passionate speeches.

“After such talks, the reaction is instantaneous. It can have miraculous effects because, after reminding them that this is not a job but something they used to love, it takes players deep into their consciences and they each go back to a certain point in their past.”

5) The Spurs dressing room was in a bad state when he first arrived

Pochettino is pretty damning when it comes to the state of affairs upon his arrival.

“The Tottenham dressing room was full of figures who at some point in their careers had been considered stars but had lost their way. And the team didn’t come first. Two weeks after coming here I remember saying to Hugo Lloris, ‘What am I doing here?’

“Some of them didn’t share our ideas but tried to adapt; others rejected them from day one. A few disrespected us.”

6) Pochettino deserves credit for Harry Kane’s extraordinary development

The coach describes Kane’s “resignation” following his frequent loan moves and the hiring of yet another new manager, and that he played like “a player in his thirties”.

“Human beings tend to naturally settle and stop doing those small things that are so essential if you want to keep on winning,” Pochettino says. “I had several stern conversations with Harry in which I had to make him understand that he had to get ready for whenever the opportunity might arise.”



He is persistently teaching Kane new lessons about himself throughout the book and talking to him during dry spells, most notably showing Kane a critical video of his performance that left the England striker admitting he had no idea he had even played badly.

“He likes to film everything,” Kane points out in the book’s epilogue.

7) Walker told Pochettino in April that he was going to leave

Balague lays out the entire conversation when, in April, Walker told Pochettino he had achieved all he could at Spurs and wanted to move on. The Argentine doesn’t hide his anger and is very upset that Walker did not wait until the end of the season.

However, he does not believe the situation was a distraction, since “twenty players out of our twenty-five-man squad are coveted by other clubs”.

8) He has a great Adebayor anecdote to add the collection…

Like most of the coaches Adebayor has worked under, Pochettino found the Togolese both frustrating and charming – “Ade’s eccentricities gave us plenty of laughs” – and shares his favourite anecdote with Balague in the book.

Adebayor angrily storms into a meeting Pochettino is having with director Franco Baldini and chairman Daniel Levy (which naturally leaves both “stony-faced”) demanding to know why he has been left out of the squad. He wasn’t cross not to be playing, but because he had already sent his chauffer home and so would now have to book a minicab!

“Priceless!” in the words of Pochettino.

• • • •

9) Pochettino thought he was about to get sacked during his first season

Spurs went to Villa Park in November 2014 having collected just 14 points from the first 10 games, and so Pochettino can be forgiven for feeling pessimistic when the team were 1-0 down with eight minutes left on the clock.

“I turned to face the dugout. I looked at Toni, Jesus, and Miki [his assistants] and told them, ‘Lads, pack your bags tonight, because tomorrow we’re going home.’”

Spurs scored two late goals to win the match 2-1, but it just goes to show there is a thin line between success and failure in football.

10) Pochettino is quite the philosopher

“As we all know, we have our conscious and unconscious minds.” Philosophy and a spiritual fatalism is littered throughout A Brave New World, ranging from the religious (“nothing happens by chance, there is a reason for everything”) to the, well, more bizarre.

“I am convinced humans have many mental abilities that are yet to be developed,” he tells Balague. “Believe in the stars.”
 
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davidmatzdorf

Front Page Gadfly
Jun 7, 2004
18,106
45,030
I love the fact the forward is written by his wife (free sample on Amazon) and she describes him as an ocean and herself as rainwater! Son dos capos!

Hi. I'm assuming there is a Spanish version and an English translation. Which are you reading?
 

Bulletspur

The Reasonable Advocate
Match Thread Admin
Oct 17, 2006
10,690
25,246
It's quite interesting, especially the bits about his early days at the club. Ade comes across as a likeable loony, not really fit for a Pochetinno squad but not as toxic as others that he offloaded.
The most intriguing aspect so far is how much he sacrificed as a kid to become a professional and how he hints that today's footballers don't really go through that. He spent the whole summer stinging over the 5-1 defeat to Newcastle because the team had given up and were distracted by the Euros or holidays. But he also blames himself. There is a sense that this hunger is fuelled by the hardships of his youth at Newells, he never seems to lose sight of that.
He also has a lot of time for Mason who stepped up, along with Kane, when he was transitioning the club.
So far he's careful not to name players, ex or current, for any wrongdoing but he's not scared to publicly state that Ali, Son and others have lots of different voices in their ears all the time and for young men this can be very confusing. He's also never had an agent- he listens to his core team and wife over career choices when he's uncertain or faced with momentous decisions.
Spoiler! :(

I spent 50 dollars on Amazon to get it and have it delivered by Tuesday all the way from the UK as reading a book on my phone is terrible and im going away Wednesday. I'll be fucking infuriated if this book is useless or if ot doesnt get here in time.
I was about to order it on Amazon here in Canada for $32 CD but can only pre order as wont be released here until May 2018. Fuck that, I will buy it when I am in London next month instead
 

Lilbaz

Just call me Baz
Apr 1, 2005
41,363
74,893
This is being sold by THFC too so people don't need to worry about any controversy.

Also if you listen to my link. All the stuff about Dier.....was told by Dier :)

Can't believe dier would break trust with the players by telling stories about himself. I'm not suprised if this is the last straw and dier never talks to himself again.
 

tevezito

In the cup for Tottingham
Jun 8, 2004
925
1,536
Hi. I'm assuming there is a Spanish version and an English translation. Which are you reading?
The free sample in English available for kindle on Amazon. Not seen a Spanish version yet. I assumed the book was written in English?
 

robertgoulet

SC Resident Crooner Extraordinaire
Jul 23, 2013
3,610
12,552
I spent 50 dollars on Amazon to get it and have it delivered by Tuesday all the way from the UK as reading a book on my phone is terrible and im going away Wednesday. I'll be fucking infuriated if this book is useless or if ot doesnt get here in time.

It was $13 on Amazon yesterday when I checked...up to $22 today. Bah.

Wordery.com has paperback for $20, free worldwide shipping.
 

Bus-Conductor

SC Supporter
Oct 19, 2004
39,837
50,713
Will I be missing out on anything (pictures/diagrams etc) if I order the kindle version (if there is one) ?
 

glacierSpurs

Well-Known Member
Sep 28, 2013
16,163
25,472
Tempted to get one. Seems really worth it yeah? Especially Wordery can send to overseas.
 

Johnny J

Not the Kiwi you need but the one you deserve
Aug 18, 2012
18,118
47,881
It's quite interesting, especially the bits about his early days at the club. Ade comes across as a likeable loony, not really fit for a Pochetinno squad but not as toxic as others that he offloaded.
The most intriguing aspect so far is how much he sacrificed as a kid to become a professional and how he hints that today's footballers don't really go through that. He spent the whole summer stinging over the 5-1 defeat to Newcastle because the team had given up and were distracted by the Euros or holidays. But he also blames himself. There is a sense that this hunger is fuelled by the hardships of his youth at Newells, he never seems to lose sight of that.
He also has a lot of time for Mason who stepped up, along with Kane, when he was transitioning the club.
So far he's careful not to name players, ex or current, for any wrongdoing but he's not scared to publicly state that Ali, Son and others have lots of different voices in their ears all the time and for young men this can be very confusing. He's also never had an agent- he listens to his core team and wife over career choices when he's uncertain or faced with momentous decisions.
Bloody agents.
 

doctor stefan Freud

the tired tread of sad biology
Sep 2, 2013
15,170
72,169
Will I be missing out on anything (pictures/diagrams etc) if I order the kindle version (if there is one) ?
There's some interesting pics of him as a young player with Beilsen and others. One things for certain: Argentinian football from that era really knows how to blend the camp with the macho
 

benski

Well-Known Member
Feb 10, 2006
574
825
What do people think about the Edwards quotes around him having behavioural problems? It sounds pretty concerning but basically he's covering himself well in case Edwards doesn't make it here. He's obviously tried the arm round the shoulder and it hasn't worked!
 

EQP

EQP
Sep 1, 2013
7,958
29,657
What do people think about the Edwards quotes around him having behavioural problems? It sounds pretty concerning but basically he's covering himself well in case Edwards doesn't make it here. He's obviously tried the arm round the shoulder and it hasn't worked!

I think it is safe to assume that Poch and Edwards relationship has improved vastly as Marcus agreed to a contract extension. We'll need some time to help Marcus develop his strength and over all resiliency just so he can avoid these niggling injuries and have a constant impact for us in the future.
 

tototoner

Staying Alert
Mar 21, 2004
29,387
34,059
Just put in on my Kindle, finished Dan Brown's latest nonsense last night so will start it today
 

cider spurs

Well-Known Member
Jul 5, 2016
9,399
23,731
Spanish, Canadian, English, Amazon Kindle.

€40, $32, $22, £12, £20, £22.

Feck if I know, think I'll just wait to Rose leaves and spills the beans in the Daily rag.
 

Gaz_Gammon

Well-Known Member
Apr 16, 2005
16,047
18,013
Anyone got it, and is it worth getting?

I know it only came out today, but after a few of the pieces in the papers it sounded like it might be a real insight, yet from what I've read on various places it sounds like a disappointment


Just finished reading it, a very honest and open book on Poch, his initial findings on joining the club, the dispelling of the old regime and the efforts needed to turn the culture of the club around. Interesting insights into the rumours on the transfer interest on Walker, Rose and Dier plus his thoughts on where the club is heading, and his close relationship to Levy and hos coaching team.

As an aside he nails once and for all the bullshit about his relationship with Ade, and tells a very, very funny story about him.

A thoroughly interesting read.
 

Gaz_Gammon

Well-Known Member
Apr 16, 2005
16,047
18,013
Will I be missing out on anything (pictures/diagrams etc) if I order the kindle version (if there is one) ?

Words too much for you to handle?.....................:cautious:


There is a Kindle version, a good few pictures at the end of the book.
 
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