A MAN OF PRINCIPLE
Pochettino says he would rather be a farmer than manage Arsenal or Barcelona
MAURICIO Pochettino is refusing to shut down rumours of a move to Real Madrid — but says he would rather work on a farm than manage Arsenal or Barcelona.
Zinedine Zidane is under pressure at Real and it was revealed in November that Tottenham boss Pochettino would be the No 1 target if Zidane is sacked.
Pochettino is focused on Spurs but said: “You never know what will happen in football.”
The Argentine, who is the son of a farm labourer, said there are only three clubs he would rule out joining.
He said: “I am never going to be manager of Barcelona or Arsenal because I am so identified with Tottenham and Espanyol. I grew up with Newell’s Old Boys and will never manage (their rivals) Rosario Central.
“That is my decision. I prefer to work on my farm in Argentina than in some places.”
The number of young players Pochettino has blooded at Tottenham suggests he is thinking long term, but he admits his future is uncertain.
“My commitment is massive in this club. I am working like I will be here for ever,” he said. “But you never know.
“It is a lot of rumours. Tomorrow (chairman) Daniel Levy could have a bad night and say — Oh I am going to sack Mauricio. And then I look stupid saying I am not going to work in one place or an- other.
“It is a very unstable situation. It’s not only you. It’s the results, the ideas, the chairman…”
Pochettino also took aim at Arsene Wenger, telling the Arsenal boss to stop talking about Spurs’ lack of trophies.
Wenger insisted his club are judged by different standards by the media, who ‘celebrate’ other clubs despite them not winning silverware.
But Pochettino said: “Football is not only to win trophies, it’s the circumstances of different clubs.
“I respect Wenger but he needs to talk about Arsenal. He is one of the best managers, but everyone makes a mistake and he made a mistake to talk about us.”
Meanwhile, Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen says the London club learned a valuable lesson from a 2-1 defeat at Leeds
England striker Jamie Vardy i s i n line to come up against one of his own academy ‘graduates’ when Leicester City face Peterborough United in the fourth round of the FA Cup today.
Vardy set up the V9 Academy two years ago in the hope of encouraging others to follow in his footsteps by moving from the world of non-league, semi-professional, football into the ranks of full-time players.
Before the start of this season, third-tier Peterborough signed Alex Penny from Nuneaton Town after the defender shone during a trial at Vardy’s academy.
Penny, who worked in a restaurant when playing for Nuneaton, United in the FA Cup five years ago and they will take nothing for granted when they face League Two side Newport County today.
“It was a while ago... a tough experience,” Vertonghen, who made his FA Cup debut in the 2013 defeat, told the club’s website ( w w w . t o t t e n h a m h o tspur.com). “Away games are always tough in the FA Cup, everyone is up for it, especially against a Premier League team and we suffered that day.
“The smaller teams have always got their own crowd behind them and they’re always extra motivated, but we’re used to away games and we have to cope with it. We have to be professional.
“We’ve been working on that,” Vertonghen added. “I think this team has great focus, we know what we want and I’m very proud of that.
“We’ve got a professional team that will approach this game against Newport in a very good way. We just have to approach it in the way we approach Premier League games, which we will.” joked he’d have no qualms about marking Vardy because he is faster over the turf than the experienced Premier League forward.
“Everyone has been saying that when the ball goes in the channel it’s a race between me and him and he’s nervous because he knows I’m going to burn him, I know I am faster than him,” he said.
Va rd y re p l i e d t o Pe n n y ’ s comments by saying: “It will be interesting but we will wait and see as there haven’t been that many people who can catch me.
“Hopefully though he will have a good game, but not too good as obviously Leicester want to be
Tottenham and fourth-tier Newport will face each other for the first time since consecutive FA Cup meetings in 1959 and 1960, with Spurs winning both games.
Newport are eighth in League Two while Tottenham are fifth in the Premier League. getting through to the next round. It will be a good experience for us both.”
Last year saw the V9 Academy help produce four professional players and Vardy believes they can at least match that number in 2018.
“We set a target and we hit it but there is loads and loads of talent out there,” he said. “We have opened it up to Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales this time as well to showcase more talent and give more players an opportunity.
“We are aiming to get four players signed up professionally again and I’m over the moon about that but hopefully we will get more.”