MY BALL.. MY RULES TOMORROW

No Maur Mr Nice Guy as Poch lays down law to Rose & Co

MAURICIO POCHETTINO has reminded his Tottenham players: I am the boss.

The Argentine reiterated that he calls the shots after left-back Danny Rose revealed he was “fuming” to be left out of Spurs’ squad for the North London derby against Arsenal.

Pochettino claimed Rose did not show him his disappointment, but also insisted: “I am happy that he was angry. But in the same way I don’t care!”

Pochettino said: “You can ask me about him or Georges-kevin Nkoudou (with Serge Aurier, right), who wasn’t involved, or Paulo Gazzaniga.

“If you say they were upset? Of course. They were disappointed? Of course. They were angry, fuming? Of course because they want to play, Michel Vorm the same. But I am the boss.

“That is the problem for the players, they are upset when they are not involved.

“If you saw the faces of the

19 or 20 players on matchday and I say, ‘OK, that is the starting 11’, the ones on the bench and the two who are out of the squad, if you had a camera on their faces, it would scare you.

“I am happy he was angry. But in the same way I don’t care! I need to take the best decision for the team. The day before the Arsenal game we had a conversation and he never showed me that he was angry.

“Of course, disappointed, yes, as all the players always want to be involved. I understand if after he was angry, like other players who do not play, and I like it when players feel that emotion.” Rose returned to start in Spurs’ 2-1 win at Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday. But he could be back on the sidelines against West Brom tomorrow as he continues working his way back to full fitness after 10 months out with a knee injury. Pochettino admitted any decision on Rose, or the future of other players or staff might not be entirely his. Rose is a target for Manchester United, and Pochettino added: “It’s not a moment to talk about that.

“All the players have contracts with us, they’re all involved in our project.

“You cannot guess what’s going to happen in the future, and with myself it is the same. It’s a different part of the business of football. You are the boss for something. For another, you need to negotiate or look for another side.

“It’s about arriving at the moment and taking what is the best decision for the club.”