POCH WARNING: REAL ARE NOT JUST ‘THE RONALDO TEAM’
MAURICIO POCHETTINO has warned his Spurs stars Real Madrid are not ‘the Cristiano Ronaldo team’. The Portuguese superstar proved the Champions League holders’ lifesaver yet again with the winner at Getafe on Saturday. But Pochettino, who describes Ronaldo as
MAURICIO POCHETTINO has vowed to get on the front foot instead of parking the bus when Spurs play Real Madrid tomorrow night.
The Argentine will actually try to take the game to the Champions League holders at the Bernabeu despite their fearsome attacking quality.
Pragmatic Jose Mourinho sacrificed style for substance to grind out a point at Liverpool on Saturday with his expensively-assembled Manchester United team.
But Pochettino intends to stay true to Tottenham’s attacking principles and will attempt to make a game of it with his young side in Madrid. “We will try to dominate,” he said.
“We will try to be better, but it’s a massive challenge for us to dominate them. We will press high, try to play in the opposition’s half, try to be aggressive and brave.
“That’s how we feel football should be played. If they try to push us back deeper, then OK we may have to adapt to their quality. But from the beginning we will be brave and aggressive and play to win the game.”
Pochettino chose not to be drawn on the anti-climax at Anfield ahead of his side’s first Premier League victory at Wembley on Saturday, a 1-0 win over Bournemouth.
He added: “Everyone in football chooses their way to play. Football is so open with so many ideas and you must respect every way.
“But if you ask me, we are going to Madrid to play football and be Tottenham.
“We do not change because we are playing in Madrid.”
Pochettino insisted that his rising stars are ready to justify the hype around them and prove that they are worthy of sharing a stage with the Champions League winners in three of the last four seasons.
He added: “The first time is always important, to show that we can handle that pressure, and play in that type of game. It’s a good opportunity for us.
“I’m so excited and motivated to go and put on a performance. It’s Real Madrid and we respect them, but we go to play.
“We’re excited to play Real Madrid in the Champions League and our motivation is big. We’re going to play one of the best teams in the world, if not the best team, and we need to be focused.
“We want to get to the next round of the Champions League and it’s important we recover from this game. It’s a very big challenge and we will go to play and try to win.”
Pochettino has often been mentioned as a potential target for Real after turning Spurs from underachievers in the Europa League to Champions League regulars and title contenders.
But the Spurs boss is happy inspiring a young squad buying into his ideas, rather than nursing any superstar egos.
He said: “The challenge for all managers is to make the players buy your ideas.
“In every project, in every club, when they offer you a contract, the owner or chairman explains what he wants from you. Then you start to build your philosophy that you want to see on the pitch.”