How Pochettino has made Spurs feared in Europe
Jeremy Wilson analyses the key areas that have helped Tottenham adapt to life at the elite level
Optimum mindset
As the two Harrys – Winks and Kane – emerged from deep inside the Bernabeu on Tuesday night, what was so striking was their sense of belonging on such a stage. Kane agreed that the players felt like “equals on the pitch” and Winks explained how Mauricio Pochettino handled the psychology of such an occasion.
“He always reiterates, ‘Just go out there, play and enjoy it’. It gives me massive confidence. He also has this natural demeanour. You want to do well for him because he’s a fantastic manager and person. When you step into the Bernabeu you realise the history. It’s special, a bit overwhelming, but it’s still a game. It was important to take that emotion out and just go for them as I would any other player.”
The balance between self-belief and humility was perfectly struck. Kane also again showed how grounded he was in response both to Zinedine Zidane describing him as “complete” and his almost fan-like desire to exchange shirts with Cristiano Ronaldo. “Positive comments help – I use it as motivation,” he said. “Ronaldo’s a big role model. I’ll frame his shirt. I gave him mine… but I don’t know what he’ll do with it.”
Tactical flexibility
Above all else, Pochettino seemed delighted at how his players handled enforced adjustments to the team’s strategy. We already know that Tottenham can play with a three, four or five-man defence, but what we did not expect was a second striker – Fernando Llorente up with Harry Kane. “He told me what he was thinking of doing and I agreed,” said Kane. “He wanted to go on the attack, didn’t want to drop off, defend and get a 0-0.”
It was certainly bold, and Pochettino felt it surprised Madrid. It also reflected what has been a deliberate transfer strategy of assembling a squad who are relatively lean in numbers but unusually versatile in having players who can perform many subtly different roles.
“We are a flexible team, able to play in different structures but always keeping the characteristics of what we want,” said Pochettino.
Fitness first
Whatever the formation, that most basic characteristic is a relentless work-rate out of possession. A prerequisite for any player, then, is that they must be physically very fit. Kane admitted his body fat percentage was 18 per cent when Pochettino arrived, only to almost half over the past three years.
“It was pretty high for an athlete,” said Kane. “I had to face it. I had to be fit to play in his team because I knew that he would play a high press. I had to run a lot, so I made sure I got my mindset ready. The chef and the gaffer had me working hard every day.”
Pochettino had a similar impact at Southampton, with players such as Rickie Lambert and Luke Shaw also playing the best football of their careers under his fitness regime.
Wider project
A more intangible but vast strength for Tottenham is the gathering momentum around their wider project. You can just sense that everyone associated with the club, whether fans, players or staff, feels they are on a journey that could end with Spurs consistently establishing themselves among the elite. Pochettino repeatedly references how both the stadium and the team are at an exciting point of “construction”.
Drawing at Madrid, he implied, was just another step in this project. “It is something we were missing; this feeling to compete at the highest level. We have reinforced our ideas.”
This bigger narrative has helped insulate Spurs against the restraints of their budget, and it was instructive on Tuesday to hear Danny Rose sound so grateful for being accepted back after outspoken summer comments about his salary and his future. “I was expecting a frosty reception from the fans so I just have to say, ‘Thank you’,” he said. “I’m trying to look forward now for the rest of the season – we try to win this club a trophy. It’s forgotten about. My opinions will be voiced in a different way from now on.”
Kane now expects this result to act as another catalyst for the group. “It was a big statement,” he said. “It will give us confidence because we’ve shown we can do it against the best team in the world.”