The Mauricio Pochettino thread

[Gassin's finest]

It's because our Poche is a boss and he holds no truck with ****s.

 

[ebzrascal]

Why is Poch making so many tacticl errors and only correcting it at half time?

 

[spursfan77]

What’s up with Poch getting everything wrong in the first half lately. It honestly feels a bit deja vu. Fair enough, he fixes it in the second half, but it’s so damm difficult to get back in the game. We only managed to comeback against Fulham.

Also do they not train set pieces. We seriously cannot defend them at all. Like today they constantly let a Chelsea player stand completely open outside the box.

Shouldn’t they learn from their mistakes...

Your last sentence is one uttered by managers up and down the land since the dawn of time. Good players do. Let’s see if it finally dawns on them because some make the same mistakes over and over again. Soon you have to get rid of them if they don’t do what’s asked.

 

[vegassd]

One of the reasons that we didn't make a big tactical switch until half time is because Poch's staff have a bunch of video clips put together of things done well and things done poorly so they can demonstrate exactly what they want from the players. Maybe that's something they can look at improving themselves - sending the team out with a couple of alternate plans in their heads that can be switched to. But we saw in the United game that making a structural change in mid-flow (after the Sissoko injury) contributed to the Rashford goal.

I think it's tough to judge Poch too harshly on the defeat last night. Had we had the big three up front, or even just one or two of them I'm sure we would have carried a greater goal threat and had a better chance of going through. The amount of spirit shown by the players was brilliant imo, and that's something that not a lot of managers are able to achieve at the top level these days. I reckon we will achieve more success via that team spirit rather than pinpoint tactics... but that's just my opinion.

The semi-final hoodoo is an odd one but I would hope that it's just something we need to shake off, like the "Wembley curse" and our terrible records at Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge and the Emirates. We've been able to put those to bed in recent years so with a bit of perseverance I'm confident we will get to a final before too long.

I had a quick look at the semi-finalists since 2015. The top 6 panned out like this; Chelsea 5, Liverpool/City/Spurs 4, Arsenal/United 3. The trophies go 2 each to Chelsea/City/Arsenal/United. So we're doing something right and just need to keep knocking on that door. We've reached the same number of domestic semi-finals and won the same number of domestic trophies as Liverpool in that time so it can't be all doom and gloom.

 

[coys200]

Why is Poch making so many tacticl errors and only correcting it at half time?

I’m not for a second saying that I know more about setting up a team than pochettino. But I don’t really understand playing a diamond which gives you 2 up top when our current strength lays in our defence and we were 1-0 up. He also went to a lesser team in Fulham and played 3 at the back and today reverts to a diamond. The fact we haven’t had a single PL draw suggest he is taking the club motto to extremes.

 

[wadewill]

Not sure how much of a semi final hoo doo it is, we just end up playing very good teams at that point who are historically better than us, spend more money and have managers that seem to be able to more tactically astute and managing them

It is no coincidence we keep losing them.

Although we were unlucky to go out on pens with all the injuries we had, Chelsea should have been home and dry over the two legs anyway

 

[wadewill]

And fuck draws, draws are for losers.

 

[Bobbins]

And fuck draws, draws are for losers.

 

[hakano]

Has a horrible record in semi finals and big cup games as our manager. It's a constant stick he is beaten with. We have an amazingly talented squad and really should have won at least one cup by now.

There is only one game that I hold him responsible for and that is the FA semi final against Man U. All the other games were played against superior sides and we were always the underdogs - no shame in that.

 

[hakano]

I'm suggesting there remains huge questions marks over Poch's ability to get this team over the line. At the end of the day, we can look for all the excuses under the sun, but it keeps happening every season. Poch still hasn't won a trophy, progress seems to have stalled big time. We haven't learnt anything from our previous semi final defeats, we are still plucky losers.

You are pointing the finger at Poch for progress stalling. He is working miracles, top 3 three years running - the last two seasons playing at Wembley and we are third despite zero additions. There are others who deserve finger pointing way way before Poch.

 

[hakano]

Can’t have it both ways and say “ one of most talented squads” and then he’s won nothing. Ok there’s obviously mitigating circumstances tonight. But in recent years United won an FA cup and Europa Arsenal won FA cup both with worse squads than what pochettino has had. Great guy great coach at improving players. But tactically when it really matters still major doubts if he is a winner. This squad in last 5 years has been good enough to win something.

Yes but good enough to challenge on all fronts? Do you not think that if he prioritised the league and fa cups over the league we would have got closer or bloody won one of those poxy trophies?

We can’t have it all with zero spend.

 

[Paolo10]

And fuck draws, draws are for losers.

Points win prizes.

 

[Hakkz]

Yes but good enough to challenge on all fronts? Do you not think that if he prioritised the league and fa cups over the league we would have got closer or bloody won one of those poxy trophies?

We can’t have it all with zero spend.

You have a point there. The times they have won cups recently, they have also sacrificed something else. We try to do our best on every front which means we get pretty far, but never far enough in any of them.

 

[neogenisis]

One of the reasons that we didn't make a big tactical switch until half time is because Poch's staff have a bunch of video clips put together of things done well and things done poorly so they can demonstrate exactly what they want from the players. Maybe that's something they can look at improving themselves - sending the team out with a couple of alternate plans in their heads that can be switched to. But we saw in the United game that making a structural change in mid-flow (after the Sissoko injury) contributed to the Rashford goal.

I appreciate that, but its not a good tactic is it if Chelsea had scored 4 before half time =/

 

[Japhet]

Seemed very odd to me that Kante got a free shot at goal which went in due to nobody being near him, and then at the start of the second half they had another identical chance. It also seems blatantly obvious to me that we need a player to occupy the space outside the far post when we have attacking corners and free kicks when so many balls end up in that area. I also think we look a much better side with a back 3 and wingbacks, even moreso with Sissoko's energy in midfield.

 

[midoshairband]

Seemed very odd to me that Kante got a free shot at goal which went in due to nobody being near him, and then at the start of the second half they had another identical chance. It also seems blatantly obvious to me that we need a player to occupy the space outside the far post when we have corners and free kicks when so many balls end up in that area. I also think we look a much better side with a back 3 and wingbacks, even moreso with Sissoko's energy in midfield.

3 at the back is fine, but would that mean leaving out one of the front 4 (kane/eriksen/alli/son)?

4 at the back would be fine if we had decent full backs. rose if getting back to his best, but RB is a problem - trippier nowhere near good enough in a back 4.

 

[mattdefoe]

Not sure how much of a semi final hoo doo it is, we just end up playing very good teams at that point who are historically better than us, spend more money and have managers that seem to be able to more tactically astute and managing them

It is no coincidence we keep losing them.

Although we were unlucky to go out on pens with all the injuries we had, Chelsea should have been home and dry over the two legs anyway

Not so sure mate , Pompey , Newcastle , Everton all ring a bell in regards to semi finals

 

[Japhet]

3 at the back is fine, but would that mean leaving out one of the front 4 (kane/eriksen/alli/son)?

4 at the back would be fine if we had decent full backs. rose if getting back to his best, but RB is a problem - trippier nowhere near good enough in a back 4.

I agree with all of that but think that at the moment we have Llorente up front and he really needs crosses in the box, so a back 3 would serve us well.

 

[midoshairband]

I agree with all of that but think that at the moment we have Llorente up front and he really needs crosses in the box, so a back 3 would serve us well.

ah quite right, you’re talking about now with all those guys out/unavailable - sorry i missed that.

then yes, 3 at the back with Llorente up on his own has to be the way forward for now.

hopefully when Sonny is back Poch doesn’t go batshit crazy and put him at RWB again ?

 

[vegassd]

I appreciate that, but its not a good tactic is it if Chelsea had scored 4 before half time =/

I didn't say it was a good tactic - it's just something that Poch's team does and might explain why we see bigger tactical changes at half time as opposed to in the middle of a half. I'm sure there are plenty of tweaks happening during the run of play anyway.

And I would agree that conceding four goals in the first half would be a poor outcome in any game. But that's not what tactics are.

We have to accept that we are going to lose some football matches, especially against good teams. We might have the better players, better tactics, better moments, more possession, more chances, more shots on target... we could dominate a game in all areas but still end up losing. If we lose our shit every time we lose a game then it's going to be a hard life!