Spurs boss issues response to his critics

[mawspurs]

Mauricio Pochettino insists he does not feel the pressure of Tottenham’s poor start after their win over Aston Villa on Sunday.

Read the full article at London 24

 

[Chedozie]

If Poch can't turn the current squad into a top 4 outfit, it's the players that need to move on and he must build his own side.

I don't mind if that takes 2 or 3 seasons, but I'm more patient than some.

 

[Mullers]

If Poch can't turn the current squad into a top 4 outfit, it's the players that need to move on and he must build his own side.

I don't mind if that takes 2 or 3 seasons, but I'm more patient than some.

They won't be moved on unless Levy can recoup a large percentage of the transfer fee for each player. Besides Poch said he had unbelievable squad, he meant that in a good way.

 

[double0]

It's the players not the manager....Levy has to back the manager with core signing Pocho needs.

 

[eddiebailey]

There is a dreadful mismatch between squad's capabilities and the manager's vision. Either we gut the squad and start again, or Poch needs to learn new tricks. Some squad changes are needed, but on the whole I hope Poch changes his spots. His tactics seem to me to work only if one of the following conditions are fulfilled:

a) you have world class players;

b) inferior opponents attempt to out play you; or

c) your opponents are crap.

Under a) how many centrebacks are there who look comfortable in a high line? how many fullbacks can get forward and attack while maintaing positional discipline? how many centre midfielders can aggressively shield the defence while squirting game changing passes? how many attackers are there with the skill to cut in past a wall of defensive bodies and the energy to maintain a high press?; and how many forwards have the range of attributes to play up front as a lone striker? Where are we going to find these paragons and how are we going to afford them?

Under b) last season there were teams who fancied themselves against Soton; but Spurs are Spurs, and even as we are stumbling, the relegation fodder are going to give nothing away.

As for c) there may be low hanging fruit in the group stages of the Europa, but that is going to get harder, and there are few easy games in the domestic cups and even fewer in the league.

 

[JoeT]

"Not feeling the pressure"; sure didn't look like it to me Mauricio...sitting there chewing your fingernails.
(But them you did have the shaven-headed Darth Vader looking down on you from the stands!)

 

[Chedozie]

There is a dreadful mismatch between squad's capabilities and the manager's vision. Either we gut the squad and start again, or Poch needs to learn new tricks. Some squad changes are needed, but on the whole I hope Poch changes his spots. His tactics seem to me to work only if one of the following conditions are fulfilled:

a) you have world class players;

b) inferior opponents attempt to out play you; or

c) your opponents are crap.

Under a) how many centrebacks are there who look comfortable in a high line? how many fullbacks can get forward and attack while maintaing positional discipline? how many centre midfielders can aggressively shield the defence while squirting game changing passes? how many attackers are there with the skill to cut in past a wall of defensive bodies and the energy to maintain a high press?; and how many forwards have the range of attributes to play up front as a lone striker? Where are we going to find these paragons and how are we going to afford them?

Under b) last season there were teams who fancied themselves against Soton; but Spurs are Spurs, and even as we are stumbling, the relegation fodder are going to give nothing away.

As for c) there may be low hanging fruit in the group stages of the Europa, but that is going to get harder, and there are few easy games in the domestic cups and even fewer in the league.

I still think we need a clear out, we've seen plenty of Dembele, Capoue, Paulinho, Lennon, Soldado, Holtby, Naughton, Chiriches and Adebeyor.

Even if we changed tactics or manager, we won't get far with those players.

 

[Roynie]

I still think we need a clear out, we've seen plenty of Dembele, Capoue, Paulinho, Lennon, Soldado, Holtby, Naughton, Chiriches and Adebeyor.

Even if we changed tactics or manager, we won't get far with those players.

I agree that nearly all of those could go. We need to continue bringing some of the Academy players through so that any money received from sales will be spent on fewer players coming in, allowing us to buy better quality. No more scatter gun approach please!

 

[VoteMe4Prez]

No more scatter gun approach please!

Yep, we don't want to do a Liverpool, do we

 

[Mullers]

Yep, we don't want to do a Liverpool, do we

You mean be 7th instead of 8th and in the champions league?

 

[Ledley's Right Foot]

Chelsea, City, arsenal, and utd all have better first team players than us. We are also in transition and the players are still learning each other's games - made worse by the size of the squad. How often has soldado played with lamella, for example?

Top 4 will be a miracle and top six a big challenge.

Yet, He's doing good, yes it's clunky and we want to see if other players can add something but he's choosing stability over chopping and changing, something avb did not learn. That takes guts. And we will gradually see the benefits, probably starting around the new year.

We are nowhere near the free flowing football of modric, vdv, bale, Parker, Lennon, adebeyor, king, woodgate, but then look at those names again and then look at Sundays team sheet. That team was peaking, what we have now is potential. I don't expect a challenge for anything this season, I'll be happy with small signs of progress and some more promotions from the academy.

But, I just don't get where all the poch doubters and pressure has come from, stand back and look at our squad and it's clear this will take time. The only person I have a question mark over is baldini. £110 million and as much as I like the players we have (they are spurs after all) in the cold light of day, the squad went backwards.

 

[Chedozie]

I agree that nearly all of those could go. We need to continue bringing some of the Academy players through so that any money received from sales will be spent on fewer players coming in, allowing us to buy better quality. No more scatter gun approach please!

I agree and from what I've seen this season Bentaleb is a better player than Capoue.

 

[ziggy]

I agree and from what I've seen this season Bentaleb is a better player than Capoue.

If you like your passes backwards and sideways

 

[Roynie]

I agree and from what I've seen this season Bentaleb is a better player than Capoue.

I think Bentaleb has a lot of potential, he has a good tackle and has the ability to pass the ball accurately and get forward. Just as importantly he seems to be able to follow instructions where he seems to stay back as a DM or, on occasions, moving forward a bit more. The latter, of course may be because he was getting more confident, at least before his injury!

 

[ackie]

Good gracious!
We blame Levy...Baldini and before that Comolli...Now we blame the players and the manager walks away untouched!!! Are we blind???
They are ALL at fault!!!
I'm all for giving the manager time but when he is at fault then i will also blame him.
Most of our players are International!
Look at what is happening to So'ton. They lost all their best players yet the manager have them playing good attacking football and currently in 2nd place!
Look at what Pulis did when he took over!
Please stop laying the blame at just the players, Levy and Baldini - last week's poor show and yesterday's was down to MoPo!
And he needs to start feeling a bit pressure!
I don't think we will make top 4 but at least let's be top 7 and lets win a trophy!
Most of our top players leave and they have gone and achieved something elsewhere!

 

[Chedozie]

If you like your passes backwards and sideways

I haven't seen Capoue do anything else.

 

[miles_64]

There is a dreadful mismatch between squad's capabilities and the manager's vision. Either we gut the squad and start again, or Poch needs to learn new tricks. Some squad changes are needed, but on the whole I hope Poch changes his spots. His tactics seem to me to work only if one of the following conditions are fulfilled:

a) you have world class players;

b) inferior opponents attempt to out play you; or

c) your opponents are crap.

Under a) how many centrebacks are there who look comfortable in a high line? how many fullbacks can get forward and attack while maintaing positional discipline? how many centre midfielders can aggressively shield the defence while squirting game changing passes? how many attackers are there with the skill to cut in past a wall of defensive bodies and the energy to maintain a high press?; and how many forwards have the range of attributes to play up front as a lone striker? Where are we going to find these paragons and how are we going to afford them?

Under b) last season there were teams who fancied themselves against Soton; but Spurs are Spurs, and even as we are stumbling, the relegation fodder are going to give nothing away.

As for c) there may be low hanging fruit in the group stages of the Europa, but that is going to get harder, and there are few easy games in the domestic cups and even fewer in the league.

Don't necessarily agree with you there, Eddie. Southampton did a very good job of it with 'on paper' a worse bunch of individuals than us. It's not that our side needs to have 'world class' players everywhere, it's that they need to be the right players.

On the other hand I do agree with the thrust of your point re: matching the system to the squad rather than the other way round. I am surprised in general by the tactical inflexibility of managers in new clubs. The vast majority seek to implement previously favoured systems on a completely new group of players.

Wasn't it Chapman at Arsenal who implemented the W-M formation so successfully? It was widely copied by others but they didn't have the personnel to make it work. Perhaps we're seeing the same here with Poch and our players vs. Saints?

 

[Paceyjg]

I haven't seen Capoue do anything else.

I've seen him fail to track a runner into the box twice now and both at Villa and against Liverpool he was at fault for those goals..

 

[Paceyjg]

A midfield three of Bentaleb, Carroll and Mason would probably do just as well as the foreign contingent we have. Sell them on and put the money into the stadium!

 

[Jadon Benjamin]

I haven't seen Capoue do anything else.

Besides cover for naughton or rose when they abscond? Come on, he does a good job of breaking up play, I'll be against DM's when we play against "weaker sides" , other than that our shakey back four need something infront of them.