Poch a stayer says Unai
UNAI EMERY believes Mauricio Pochettino might think twice about quitting Tottenham for Manchester United.
Spurs manager Pochettino is a contender to replace Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford next summer, after he was sacked by United yesterday.
But Arsenal manager Emery, whose side face Tottenham in the Carabao Cup tonight, suspects the United job might not appeal.
Emery said: “I am sure he’s very happy at Tottenham. He’s coaching a very big team with very big players.
“Now they are in the Champions League and they are also in a better position in the Premier League [three places and 13 points ahead] than United.
“His performance at Tottenham is very big. I’m looking at him with a very big commitment to Tottenham and he’s creating a good performance, a good idea at the club. They have improved a lot with Mauricio. Our test against them is a very big test.”
Emery, however, says he does not want to take the passion out of the derby by telling his players to cool it.
But he will remind them to be respectful if they get to celebrate scoring against their big rivals – and expects the same from Tottenham.
That is after Arsenal’s 4-2 win over Spurs earlier this month was marred by a mass brawl between the players and seven arrests for disorder in the stands.
One Spurs fan has been given a four-year ban and £500 fine for throwing a banana skin at Gunners striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in a “targeted racist incident” during the game.
Emery said: “This is not respect. It’s a good decision to ban the fan. We need to respect the opposition in every match. This respect is by playing with a big motivation and a lot of excitement to win against them. We must respect this emotion in every moment.
“Showing our emotion, the players, the fans and me, is good, whoever we play – but every time we must respect them.”
Emery is looking for his players to bounce back after Sunday’s Premier League defeat at Southampton ended their 22-match unbeaten run.
Tottenham striker Harry Kane is a doubt after missing training yesterday with a cold.
He has scored eight goals in his last eight matches against Arsenal but Pochettino said: “We need to assess him because he had a cold this morning and didn’t go outside to train. He did something in the gym instead.
“We have a big decision. If we consider that he can cover 90 minutes, maybe he can play. If not, and nothing happens in the afternoon, maybe he will be on the bench. We have to protect him.” Tottenham have not won a trophy since the 2008 League Cup when they beat Arsenal in the semi-final.
Pochettino re-stated his belief that “the Premier League and the Champions League are the best competitions in the world,” but added: “Not only our fans want us to win the League Cup, we want to win it too.”
Tottenham, meanwhile, have activated an option to extend Jan Vertonghen’s contract until 2020.
The Belgium defender, who is currently sidelined until next month with a thigh injury, was due to see his deal expire in the summer.
But Spurs have moved to tie him down for an additional year and are believed to be keen to agree a new long-term deal as well.