The Mauricio Pochettino thread

[ernie78]

It's at total odds with each other though.
If Levy wants to add value, success is the key. United are one of the most valuable clubs in football. It's not based on Old Trafford or having Paul Pogba in the squad. It's because they were on top for 20 years.

Exactly, no point in having a top stadium if it’s half empty week in week out. Let’s face it 61k fans aren’t going to be paying top ticket prices to watch 8th-10th finishes

 

[andy00900]

It's at total odds with each other though.
If Levy wants to add value, success is the key. United are one of the most valuable clubs in football. It's not based on Old Trafford or having Paul Pogba in the squad. It's because they were on top for 20 years.

he is in the business of assessing risk, putting the money into infrastructure is a much safer investment than buying players and trying to win.

 

[Seafordian Spurs]

The whole process evolves, certain players are fine for a period but over time as the team/squad experience and develop more some of those players need to be recycled and are no longer fit for purpose. Also, some of those mentioned were perhaps not his first choice and we ended up with them as the alternatives were either worse or none at all.

Poch deserves full backing, until he receives it is extremely harsh to say he should be doing better. Don't forget his last three seasons 3rd, 2nd, 3rd and currently only two points from the top. Which manager since Bill Nic has even come close to that level of consistency?

Yup. Poch the man, the best we could hope for.

 

[yankspurs]

Feel so sorry for Poch. The man has moved mountains to transform the mentality of the club, achieving three consecutive top 3 finishes while working on a shoe-string budget, managing a choppy transition from one stadium to another, and being burdened with budget French wingers and relegated dross.

He deserves more than any other manager in my lifetime to be backed to hilt by the chairman, but instead we end up breaking records for lack of transfer activity.

It's a fucking travesty.

Dont forget we’ve also shattered the record for highest paid chairman who probably gave himself another raise after this summer.

 

[Blackrat1299]

What affect is this going to have on the team?

 

[shelfboy68]

If Poch were to leave I’d rather get a more experienced manager with a pedigree of winning trophies.

However, if we’re to go down the route of young up and coming manager then I agree Howe would fit very well.

An experienced manager with a CV of winning trophies would not entertain us because he would want the funds to do so and that is where it all breaks down, the top managers move around the top club's like pep Barcelona, bayern Munich and now city all clubs that can realistically win titles and or champions league.
That is the reason why we got poch because he probably doesn't ask or expect too much and has previously not won anything so no need to worry about reputation, and levy likes the idea of him buying into company philosophy of recruiting young players to sell off later to make money on then rinse and repeat.

 

[Ben1]

The thing that's holding us back from 'creating a dynasty' are wages or, in our case, the lack of them in comparison to other top six teams.

This, alongside the stadium etc, has definitely hampered us.

Let's say Manchester United decide they want a fresh approach. A young manager with the mandate to 'build a dynasty'. They would in theory be able to tie down and KEEP a young core who grow and develop together. Even if they have a couple of years out of top 4, they're financial clout would see them through.

We can't offer that. Our best chance at success was riding the crest of a wave the seasons Leicester and then Chelsea won the league. Since then, we have regressed slightly. Not Poch's fault. We haven't bought anyone or dealt with the want aways (who wouldn't have wanted away in the first place if we could offer other top six teams' wages)

Eddie Howe? Sure, why not. But unless the stars align and he nails it during a Leicester kind of season (as Poch didn't) he'll face the same challenges and glass ceiling.

Still love us though! COYS

Our problem really hasn't been tying players down at all. They've all stuck around longer than expected if anything, bar Walker who had been here longer anyway.

Its improving the squad in a new era where 30mil just about buys a player with two legs. That's what's caught us out.

 

[dudu]

Exactly, no point in having a top stadium if it’s half empty week in week out. Let’s face it 61k fans aren’t going to be paying top ticket prices to watch 8th-10th finishes

We haven't finished 8th for 10 years, this post seems a little hysterical.

 

[Lighty64]

I was astonished that we didn't go for it more in the summer, if ever there was a time to get behind a manager, who wholeheartedly deserved it, it was then. Inexplicable.

Pochettino is just right to apply some public pressure. I perceive it as encouraging, giving Levy another chance, attempting to align everything back together again.

What really disappoints me though is that we shouldn't be in this position of disagreement.

I just find it baffling that he hasn't been given what he wants, we're transformed under him and he represents the Club so well.

the ITK in the summer mentioned we had £150m (not nett) which we would be expecting to receive in the region of 120m back. we never had an offer or sold anyone pre WC, if we intended to buy quality we needed to buy WC players. we never sold anyone after the WC, and we where also hit with the stadium issues. we had news Levy wanted the squad trimmed and not to be paying players not involved. when the stadium news broke we had no idea when it would open, we had no idea exactly how much that period will cost us.

this season attendances are down, so will merchandise, refunds are being made not small amounts either, we are refunding ST holders, the corporative side, we have a good few on improved contracts, and no idea when this will all end.

I can understand why Poch isn't happy, don't know what page I posted this on but it's a lot of weight

quite understandable really

we did need to bring fresh faces in to give us a lift

his captain has caused a stir, and isn't preforming as regular.

the physio room is too busy.

he can't do his training sessions to the way he wants because our 12 WC players were all involved for at least 1 match after the groups, and have not had a preseason.

I'm sure he wanted to be in the new stadium himself by now, and due to the extra costs and rumours of no funds for January, unless we get lucky with offloading a few, he will be working with his main bulk and worrying about burnout.

due to the fixture scheduling he knows that 1 cup run is going to be very hard to continue unless we get the breaks on Wednesday, because of everything we might be lucky (or unlucky) to be dropping into the EL, and with it looking like a tight season, he doesn't have the resources to go strong for the FA Cup, knowing CL next season is important for the club.

that is a lot of pressure and a lot of weight on anybodys shoulders.

hope your reading this Levy you tight fisted git

there is also the chance he might even be putting himself in the shop window wanting to get away, because pressure is never easy at the best of times.

lets all just hope that Poch stays, ENIC sell and someone comes in and does for us what Abramovic or the Sheik has done, though Poch won't want players that think they are bigger than the club

 

[OPModric]

Were Walker and Rose known for pressing before Pochettino? Or Eriksen? Or Kane? Pochettino will get who he can get and try to mold them into players who fit his system, I'm sure he would love to have Vidal, Kante, Kimmich etc but this club usually means plan B or C. Even Eriksen was just a plan B after the whole Willian fiasco. He wanted Wanyama and got him who is perfect for the system (when healthy). He wanted Schneiderlin and didn't get him or anyone like him, what quality control options were there? What if Levy didn't want to spend money on Toby, there was nobody else close in quality to him and Pochettino would have to settle for worse quality and hope he can improve that player. He can't absolve himself of all responsibility and he doesn't have to and he is not trying to do that.

When "mold them into players who fit his system " include playing Alli as a playmaker behind striker duo Lamela and Lucas or playing Kane as a #10 with Lucas infront of him and switching system every now and then, I'm not so sure of this molding process.

 

[TottenhamMattSpur]

he is in the business of assessing risk, putting the money into infrastructure is a much safer investment than buying players and trying to win.

It's not though. Building a training complex isn't going to appreciate in value unless he plans to sell that independently of the club, which you'd think isn't going to happen.
If the club plummets down the league and loses star talent, the whole thing will depreciate in terms of selling.

 

[hakano]

We haven't finished 8th for 10 years, this post seems a little hysterical.

Most expensive season tickets in world football will not be tolerate 4/5/ or 6th place after a while. What is your point? That the negative atmosphere around the club is to do with Poch?

 

[andy00900]

It's not though. Building a training complex isn't going to appreciate in value unless he plans to sell that independently of the club, which you'd think isn't going to happen.
If the club plummets down the league and loses star talent, the whole thing will depreciate in terms of selling.

But if star talent is sold the money is put into players so we dont drop drastically down the league, that's his model and essentially I agree with you. Focus should be the squad but it isn't a fixed asset for the club.

 

[Frozen_Waffles]

What do you mean the development of youth has stopped? Do you mean promoting youngsters to the first team (Winks, KWP) or playing them in the first 11, if you mean the latter then surely that makes winning trophies (something you bring up in your 2nd point) harder because they are currently not of the desired quality as a first teamer or a player who would push the first teamers?

Don't understand the Sissoko point either, why would he play a player who is not at the level of his first teamers just to annoy Levy, surely all he's doing is hurting himself and the team if that was the case?

Has Poch really had the backing to adapt, SAF could adapt and change his team because Utd were the richest team in the league and had the monopoly of any player, we're the 6th richest.

Yes development of youth has stopped. Winks being the last player he promoted. Kwp, foyth, onomah, Edwards. Not being developed.

With your second reply, I am guessing - you never win anything with kids?

And your reply to sissoko, part of the reason we are not winning stuff is that either the players aren't good enough or the manager. Pick one.

And as for your last point, I didn't compare him to SAF, so read the post. I compared him to Wenger, working on a budget and doing a good job.

 

[nedley]

DL and the owners won’t do it though. It’s not their style and never has been. This is only going to end badly.

Then I would like Levy to step down.

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

Then I would like Levy to step down.

Shhhhhhhhhh

 

[scat1620]

Very glad that Real Madrid's manager is untouchably safe in his job right now.

 

[Mate]

If Levy/Lewis are looking to sell the club after the stadium is finished, would it financially benefit them to give Poch £150-200m to spend in the Summer/January?

Just trying to think of reasons why they would be against backing the best manager we have had since they bought the club. After all, Spurs are primarily run as a business.

 

[McArchibald]

Then I would like Levy to step down.

Levy's departure is waaaaay overdue as it is. He's the one holding the club back, and his legacy may well be a toxic one, with stadium costs spiralling out of control and debts hitting record levels.
And our best manager since Burkinshaw is all but gone, by the sounds of it...

 

[stevenurse]

Still no excuse in my opinion. Even if he is stuck with cheaper alternatives, they should at least be ones who offer as a basic aggression, intensity, high energy, and can press. Otherwise he should have passed (as happened this summer.....).

It's up to the coach to ok players who fit his principles. Poch should do quality control better, and either him and his staff find the players themselves or he gets in someone(s) he trusts as an analyst/scout to identify the correct players that he can then run the rule over. But at the end of the day, he cant absolve himself of all responsibility.

That might work at Burnley or Cardiff but you can't expect to be competitive in competitions like the Premier league or Champions league if the tools you're given aren't on the same level as your rivals. Our first 11 when fully fit is rivalling any in the league. Scratch beneath the surface and the quality drops significantly. Especially when you consider the decline or Dembele, Rose being a crock now, Davies regressing to his actual level, Wanyama being constantly injured. Throw in to that the occasional injuries for players as would be expected and he's on a hiding to nothing. Would any of our midfield get in the city, Liverpool or Chelsea Midfield? No, and it's not a close decision either. They're all miles better.

It would have been nice to win something by now but when you look at what he's working with he's doing an incredible job to keep us competitive. Can you imagine Pep having to play David Silva at lwb in an FA cup semi final? Or having Sissoko or Llorente as your game changers off the bench?