HOLY COW! TOTTENHAM MANAGER POCHETTINO HAS A CANTONA MOMENT
Pochettino has a Cantona moment
TOTTENHAM manager Mauricio Pochettino last night evoked the spirit of Eric Cantona’s infamous riddle about seagulls and trawlers with his own cryptic analogy about cows and trains.
Speaking ahead of tonight’s Champions League tie at Inter Milan, the Spurs boss was asked if last season’s defeat by Juventus would help his men in this European campaign.
Pochettino said: ‘It is like the cow in the field who sees the train pass at the same time every day. If you ask the cow what time is the train he won’t have the answer. Experience will help of course but not only experience wins you games.’
Pochettino was in a tetchy mood when he revealed that Kieran Trippier and Toby Alderweireld have both been omitted from the game as the manager tries to re-energise his team.
Spurs are also without Hugo Lloris and Dele Alli, both injured, as they attempt to avoid slumping to a third successive defeat.
Pochettino said it was a ‘technical decision’ regarding Trippier and Alderweireld, which seemed to translate as an attempt to rest those who played for the entire World Cup without admitting they need a rest.
It has been a sluggish start to the season for Tottenham. Even their victory at Manchester United was criticised by Pochettino, who admitted last night they could not contend for major titles in their current form.
The Argentine was furious with the attitude of his team when they turned a 1-0 lead into a defeat at Watford and slightly happier with their effort on Saturday despite losing at home against Liverpool.
However, he stressed the absence of Trippier and Alderweireld was not linked to the display at Wembley.
Pochettino said: ‘Against Liverpool they play and we lose and the fans might be concerned because we didn’t play with Davinson Sanchez, Kyle WalkerPeters or Serge Aurier. That is the wrong way to think.
‘I never punish players because you win or you lose. The plan is to leave them and use different players. There’s nothing behind it, only that we will play with different players. We need to use the whole squad. No one is more important than another. The collective is most important. We have a lot of games ahead.
‘We have a plan for different players to rest in different competitions, like the Champions League.
‘It is Kieran and Toby but it might be different players.’
Moussa Sissoko is injured and neither Juan Foyth nor GeorgesKevin N’Koudou are in the Champions League squad. Neither is Vincent Janssen.
Academy graduates Luke Amos and Oliver Skipp trained with the first team in the San Siro last night and teenager Alfie Whiteman is in the squad as the third goalkeeper.
With the new stadium at White Hart Lane lagging behind schedule and no new summer signings, Pochettino admits it has proved a difficult few weeks on many levels — but he has not been prepared to accept criticism of Harry Kane.
‘Harry is an easy target,’ he said. ‘It’s easy to blame him when he’s up front and the team need goals but there is a lot to thank him for in the last four years.
‘Every single fan and every team-mate needs to say thank you to Harry. When you see what he has provided for the team it is so difficult to complain because he is not scoring goals and the team lost the last two games.
‘The team is not the best and it is a collective problem. Not only one player. It’s different reasons why (we didn’t win) the last few games. It’s not about being tired. It’s not about the World Cup.’
He is, however, prepared to accept that without improvement they cannot expect to compete.
‘We are not realistic contenders in any single competition,’ added Pochettino.
‘If we show the same face as against Watford, it is impossible to be a contender. The last two defeats are so good if the effect is to wake up and improve. We have time to improve. There is time.’