HOW LUCAS MOURA BECAME A SPURS... SPEED DEMON
SHORTLY after Jose Mourinho turned Monday night’s postmatch press conference into a familiar exercise in desperate and undignified narcissism, Mauricio Pochettino came in and thanked his scouting staff for finding him Lucas Moura.
‘It was a fantastic job,’ said the Tottenham manager in reference to his chief scout, Steve Hitchen.
The contrast between Manchester United boss Mourinho’s reminder of how many Premier League titles he has won (it’s three, if anyone needs a further nudge) and Pochettino’s keenness to share the credit for finding him Monday’s match winner was immediately clear.
Greater context is provided by the lengths Pochettino had to go to last season to persuade Moura that Tottenham was indeed the right place for him in the weeks and months that followed the Brazilian’s arrival at the club from Paris Saint-Germain in January.
Moura, pursued by United in 2012 and a Brazilian international at the age of 19, only started two Premier League games last season — prompting his agent to complain to Pochettino about his lack of game time. Moura had been elbowed out of the picture by his friend Neymar and Kylian Mbappe at PSG and did not want to begin another life on the fringes at Tottenham.
There was also concern expressed by the Moura camp that the 26-year-old was being asked to play wide in training when his preferred position was through the middle.
Pochettino was concerned that Moura’s agent may try to move the player on once again and was keen to keep him.
He explained that Moura’s time would come once he had adjusted to the pace and physicality of the English game but would not budge on the matter of where the Brazilian would play.
Moura had been bought for his pace, Pochettino explained, and that was best utilised from a wide position.
Anyone who was at Old Trafford on Monday for Tottenham’s 3-0 win will have noticed the way Moura terrorised United’s defence with the speed and directness of his running. Moura has started all three league games this season — scoring three times already — but this was by far his best performance in a Tottenham shirt.
He has had his chance this season courtesy of his own performances but also because Pochettino has not been able to bring in any players to strengthen his squad.
Pochettino wanted to add depth in several areas and had serious interest in Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha and Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish. It can also be revealed here that the Spurs boss wanted to sign the Brazilian holding player Fred but was beaten to the punch by United, for whom the emerging midfielder played on Monday. Pochettino saw Fred as a candidate to replace Mousa Dembele in the long-term. The Belgian has not signed a new contract and is expected to be sold in the January window.
Although Pochettino has been disappointed by his club’s failure to bring him new players, it does not seem to have affected the bond between the players he already has.
Striker Harry Kane said after the Old Trafford victory: ‘That’s what happens. The gaffer said he’s not just going to bring in players for the sake of it. What that does is give the rest of the squad huge belief because it shows he has belief in us, so now we have to repay him for that and repay the club for that.
‘Lucas is one of those that some fans might have thought, “Is he going to stay, is he going to go?” But he’s stayed and he’s worked hard and he’s done well. He’s deserved his place in the team and that’s what it’s about.
‘He wants to keep his place and we all do. The competition for places is high and we’ve just to keep it going.’
Another Tottenham midfielder, Erik Lamela, broke down injured in Monday’s warm-up and it is understood Pochettino is keen to find a regular place for the Argentine when he recovers.