MADMAN to GENIUS
People said: ‘What’s going on?’ when they saw my team for Real.. at the end they said it was a masterstroke
MAURICIO POCHETTINO has promised to carry on springing surprises with his team selection – despite even his inner circle asking what on earth he is doing. Pochettino pulled off a shock by playing Fernando Llorente up front at Real Madrid, he has regularly switched to a back three and may ring the changes again tomorrow against Liverpool. But the Tottenham boss (with Harry Kane, left) has warned his players they better get used to it as he has already established himself as one of the Premier League’s best tacticians and believes his habit of pulling off the unexpected leaves opponents guessing. He said: “It was amazing because in Madrid some people very close to us said, ‘Can we be honest with you?’ “I said, ‘Yes’. They said, “When we saw the starting XI… what the eff? What happened? What is going on in his mind?’ “And then, at the end of the game, they say, ‘Oh, you are a genius.’ I say, ‘OK, thank you’. “It’s only a risk if you do not work, if you do not prepare the team to be flexible and play in a different shape and different systems. If the players do not accept that, you are dead. “I hear people say, ‘Tottenham don’t have a plan B or C’. The most important thing is to have a plan and keep the philosophy and identity of the team. “We need to provide the team with different options. Risk is to only play one way. I am so proud our players believe and accept we can play in different ways.” Jurgen Klopp has a strong hold over Pochettino with Liverpool enjoying three draws and a win in four league meetings between the two managers. “It sometimes happens, no? Difficult to explain why,” added Pochettino. “But it’s not a five year, or 10-year record, it’s two years we are playing. “Liverpool are an amazing team with a great manager. But it won’t be more important than any other game. If we want to fight for the title it is important we get the three points. It will be a tough game but our mentality is to try to win.”