Poch puts the block on Kane
WORKAHOLIC HARRY CAN’T GET ENOUGH
MAURICIO POCHETTINO admits that he rows with Harry Kane to stop the Tottenham striker working overtime.
The Spurs boss says the Premier League’s joint top scorer, on 17 goals, is forever wanting to get back out on the training ground.
Pochettino claims he has even had to restrain the 23-year-old England star from putting in extra shifts.
“Sometimes he’s upset because he wants to do finishing on the afternoon and we tell him no, it’s not the right moment and to wait until tomorrow,” said Pochettino.
“But he says, ‘No, I want to do a double session this afternoon’. I tell him no and he says, ‘Oh gaffer, Jesus, come on, I feel good, I am not tired’.
“I tell him it’s not good for him and then in the end it’s maybe half an hour finishing, even though we need to call two or three keepers from the academy.
“That shows his determination and character.”
Kane will face off against Everton’s 17-goal ace Romelu Lukaku at White Hart Lane tomorrow, despite hurting himself when he collided with a post in Sunday’s 4-0 defeat of Stoke when he scored a hat-trick.
Best
“Both are great players with their quality and their skills,” said Pochettino.
“For me both would be in a list of the best 10 strikers in Europe. To compare is too difficult.
“If you ask [Ronald] Koeman, Lukaku is the best. If you ask me, of course, Harry Kane is best.”
Meanwhile, the Spurs boss flat-batted questions about the prospect of him taking over at Barcelona in the summer.
Pochettino says he understands why he is being mentioned as a potential successor to Luis Enrique, who is stepping down at the end of the season.
His odds, as he was speaking yesterday, were as short as 4-1 and it is understood he is rated very highly by the Spanish giants, despite playing for and managing their city rivals Espanyol.
“It’s a big list – 100 names,” said Pochettino.
“My name will be in a list, things you cannot explain more. If you speak too much it’s possible people can twist my words.
“Only that I can say I am happy here, I understand the business, I understand my name is in some list. That is normal in football today.
“I am at one of the biggest clubs in Europe. We are in a position you can see we play good football.
“We have an exciting team to watch with very good players. I don’t think it’s flattering.”