What's new

The Mauricio Pochettino thread

Status
Not open for further replies.

bat-chain

Well-Known Member
Jan 4, 2009
2,232
9,478
I blame the players but you could find reasons to criticise him if you wanted.

He will have learnt a fair bit from today.
 

mrlilywhite

Well-Known Member
Sep 1, 2008
3,174
4,992
I blame the players but you could find reasons to criticise him if you wanted.

He will have learnt a fair bit from today.

I have heard that many times tbh and it always pops up after the same type of game, as witnessed today. Conclusion? He never does....

I think people underestimate how just one little thing wrong in our system invites mistakes from players - It wasn't just one or two who were making bad choices with the ball. The system we played and the holes in that system Liverpool exploited gave rise to those mistakes. Imo there were issues with our choice of def starting positions that allowed Liverpool space between the def & mid lines that left us exposed to the high press.

It's an inherent problem when playing a system of wingbacks with two centre halves. Their distribution is limited pretty much to the midfield. Liverpool put pressure on them between the lines and successfully cut out any opportunity for us to progress out of own half.

We should be trained to understand this system, as it's the same one we employ at home and against lesser teams. They just sit back with a flat back four and defend better as a unit as a result...

I'll give Poch credit when it's due and criticism in equal measure when it's due too. Poch made the mistake that led to the performance in my opinion.
 

mrlilywhite

Well-Known Member
Sep 1, 2008
3,174
4,992
I'm really angry with Poch for the first time since he joined us.

He set us up to fail today.
Its not the first time though recently is it. The man city game was another indicator of Poch getting it wrong - Fortunatley, by hook or by crook we salvaged a draw, when it should of been a no contest before that - Papered over the cracks that game did..
 

millsey

Official SC Numpty
Dec 8, 2005
8,735
11,504
I'm really angry with Poch for the first time since he joined us.

He set us up to fail today.
He got it wrong. But he was hit by key injuries. Rose and vert and a back 3 would have been ideal today, but we don't have the reserves to play it. Will have to wait for the summer window now to buy players that can
 

Hercules

Well-Known Member
Jul 23, 2014
5,694
156,565
Put things in perspective please. We are Hampered with injuries in key areas, and the replacements cannot cut it. We have no alternative options. It just did not happen today, and with all these factors I cut him some slack. We need serious surgery in summer to be classified as genuine contenders.
 

TEESSIDE1

Married, new job and Spurs on the up!
Jul 3, 2006
15,089
18,780
Put things in perspective please. We are Hampered with injuries in key areas, and the replacements cannot cut it. We have no alternative options. It just did not happen today, and with all these factors I cut him some slack. We need serious surgery in summer to be classified as genuine contenders.

It's scary to think we were only missing 2 current 1st choice players and everything went to pot. The same happened with Liverpool in recent weeks, take out Coutinho and Mane and they're screwed.

The summer will be interesting as we need like for like players. Cover for Rose, Kane and arguably a centre back.
 

Hercules

Well-Known Member
Jul 23, 2014
5,694
156,565
It's scary to think we were only missing 2 current 1st choice players and everything went to pot. The same happened with Liverpool in recent weeks, take out Coutinho and Mane and they're screwed.

The summer will be interesting as we need like for like players. Cover for Rose, Kane and arguably a centre back.
Add to that, we need ACM quality, who can also play in wide areas. Eriksen needs to be pressured looking over his shoulders, and even if Lamela recovers fitness et el, we still need more.
 

mrlilywhite

Well-Known Member
Sep 1, 2008
3,174
4,992
Put things in perspective please. We are Hampered with injuries in key areas, and the replacements cannot cut it. We have no alternative options. It just did not happen today, and with all these factors I cut him some slack. We need serious surgery in summer to be classified as genuine contenders.
Which of course is fine if you are saying injuries are what hampered us today, then fair enough, thats your opinion. The problem I have with that is it is a predictable excuse to cover the real fundamental issue. If you are missing key players in areas that would give you a better opportunity to exercise your system to it's full potential, then you have to find a compromise of what is acceptable.

Today wasn't acceptable. If having say Jan back allowed us to play a back 3, then great - couple that with Danny Rose, then it's ideal to play the system we played - The bottom line is that we didn't and yet Poch still persisted with playing wingbacks, that sat a lot higher up, creating gaps in the lines that Liverpool exploited at will. Neither Walker or Davies were playing orthodox fullback roles (Though davies sat back a little deeper naturally, which helped create a problem for Son tracking back).

Poch doesn't have the will to change from what he perceives as the system he thinks works regardless of available players - Granted it does when he has the players to play it, but he needs to adopt an approach that allows us some form of cohesion, when faced with situations like this - A flat back four would have been at least something. When his system works, it is one of the best pressing systems there is, but when it doesn't we look like headless chickens chasing shadows tbh.

We might line up looking like a 4-2-3-1, but it didn't play this way...
 

ebzrascal

Well-Known Member
Sep 13, 2009
2,635
4,670
I blame the players but you could find reasons to criticise him if you wanted.

He will have learnt a fair bit from today.

I doubt he would do anything different... he is a philosophy manager like Wenger and Pep they don`t change because they think they are right all the time. His interview basically blamed the players
 

rossdapep

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2011
21,907
78,645
Put things in perspective please. We are Hampered with injuries in key areas, and the replacements cannot cut it. We have no alternative options. It just did not happen today, and with all these factors I cut him some slack. We need serious surgery in summer to be classified as genuine contenders.
Which leads to the question of our recruitment once again.

I can't be the only one hoping that when Poch reportedly requested "greater control" over transfers, it was down to the lack of trust in the players signed/identified by Mitchell because if Sissoko, Janssen, Njie, N'koudou were Poch's preferred options then I have a bit of a worry whether or not he can come up trumps with future recruitment.

None of these players - one reason or another - have added anything in the way of being able to change a game or allow us to rotate with ease and still expect solid performances. In fact I'd go as far to say they have been a disaster so far.

The only signings who have made a difference are those who Poch was already aware of or who we had previously identified before he joined us.

Poch has many many strong points and does have us punching above our weight and for that I am extremely happy, however if we are ever to push on we are going to need better recruitment and if Poch continues to get this wrong then it's going to be mightily difficult for him to help us achieve something.
 

mightyspur

Now with lovely smooth balls
Aug 21, 2014
9,760
27,014
One thing about Poch that I find frustrating is not being daring enough to say, "I got this wrong" or "the players aren't doing what I need, so something has to change".

I kind of understand putting trust in the players he has out on the pitch doing what he's asked them to, but sometimes it isn't working and should try something else. It's evident by his refusal to rarely make an early change such as at half-time. He tends to wait too long and it rarely pays off.
 

BaFa94

Well-Known Member
Aug 21, 2013
343
715
We need a plan B. Our plan A, whether it be done with 3 at the back or 4 generally works great against the midtable and lower teams and against the other top 6 clubs at home. But not away, and not in Europe.

There was a clear blueprint on how to handle Liverpool. They are the one top 6 side you can play against a certain way, and with our quality, be almost certain of a result. They have a clear weakness. It's simple - you sit back, conceede possession, play on the counter an dprofit. Today we ignored that and played to their strengths by trying to keep possession, and invited disaster by passing it around at the back against a pressing side. I love our manager and our team but there is nothing that gets me more aggravated than how we respond to being pressed by passing it around at the back (this game, City away, Leverkusen in CL), which just leads to situations like Dier getting caught out on the ball.

I get that we have our philopsophy, but we need adapt to suit the fixture. I'm not one for knee-jerk reactions but this problem was very apparent today, whenadapting to exploit Liverpool's weaknesses, we played to their strengths, ignoring their very clear deficiency. The game at the Etihad and the games with Leverkusen were similar. This deer in the headlights passing the ball around at the back routine needs to go if we're going to be serious title contenders and do anything of consequence in the CL next season. Just imagine us coming up against the likes of Bayern and Madrid and doing this. We'd be humiliated.

Given that we have no more away games against the top 6, there's every chance we won't have to face this problem again until next season (unless we get some tough away draws in the cups, though I expect we'll be focusing on the league as usual anyway). There's plenty of time to fix this issue, let's hope that happens. Coys.
 

nedley

John Duncan's Love Child
Jul 28, 2006
13,942
28,069
He should rightly take share of the blame for that shambles yesterday.

But the players bottled it as soon as that whistle went. Mistakes happened from our first touch of the ball, even before the tactical set up impacted the game.

Preparation, application, tactics, hunger were all rock bottom.

Players and management should hang their heads in shame. They can redeem themselves by finishing off the season strongly and winning something.

Actions not words.
 

VertongHen

Well-Known Member
Jul 14, 2016
750
9,387
My god some of you need to set some perspective
Oh ffs, he's gone up against Liverpool, possibly the best counterattacking side in the country and told us to press a high line and the full backs to press up.

He's also told our players to play out from the back against the best pressing side in the country. And we know our player make mistakes when getting pressed (Think of the Man City performance).

I love Poch and I love what he's done but he set us up today to fail. You saying he doesn't derserve critism for that?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top