Who’s this man behind Spurs?
Argentinian Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham remain firmly in the hunt for their first title since 1961
EARLY in February, several newspapers ran a story claiming Alex Ferguson rated Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino as the best manager in the English Premier League.
The former Manchester United boss had been sitting next to David Lammy, the MP for Tottenham, at a dinner shortly before Christmas when he apparently made the disclosure.
It’s a big claim, but with the season entering its final stretch Tottenham are firmly in the hunt for the Premier League title.
They have not won the league since 1961 — but they are second in the table, five points behind Leicester City.
And if the men from the Lane do go on to clinch the title, their 44-year-old Argentine manager will undoubtedly be given a huge amount of credit for what would be an achievement as stunning as it was unexpected.
But who exactly is the man who might be about to bring the Glory, Glory Days back to the Lane?
Pochettino was born in Murphy, Santa Fe, the son of a farm labourer, and started out with Newell’s Old Boys in Rosario in the north of Argentina, until he moved to Spanish side Espanyol in 1994.
At the age of 18, the central defender won the Argentine title at Newell’s in 1991 and reached the final of the Copa Libertadores the following season, losing to Tele Santana’s Sao Paulo on penalties. It was a stunning achievement for a modest club.
It is difficult to underestimate the impact that Marcelo Bielsa known as El Loco — The Madman — had on the career of Pochettino.
Bielsa managed Argentina at the 2002 World Cup, with Pochettino fouling England’s Michael Owen for a penalty David Beckham converted — the only goal of the match.
Pochettino retired from international football that year. By that time he had played under Bielsa not only at Newell’s and in the national team, but also, in 1998, at Espanyol.
Pochettino moved to Europe in 1994 when he joined Barcelona-based La Liga side Espanyol. He was popular at the Catalan club, making nearly 300 appearances over 12 years.
His ascent into management was not immediate, nearly three years elapsing between the end of his playing career and appointment at Espanyol.
When the call came, it was sudden and urgent. German Bona, who reports on Espanyol for newspaper Sport, recalls: “He took over in January 2009 with the team in the relegation zone.
“He was the team’s third coach of the season and it was a huge challenge in a very important season because the club were moving to a new stadium in the summer and didn’t want to start there in the second division.”
Pochettino, using methods forged playing under Bielsa, had an immediate impact, leading his team to a famous 2-1 win against bitter rivals Barcelona at the Nou Camp to spark a much-improved run of form which ultimately led to a comfortable mid-table finish.
He kept the team in that position for three years, but eventually dire financial problems and internal boardroom strife took their toll and, after a poor start to the 2012-13 campaign, Pochettino was sacked.
A characteristic of Pochettino’s time at Espanyol, now being seen at White Hart Lane, was his willingness to embrace young players into his plans, introducing more than 20 youthteamers into the senior ranks.
Many Southampton support- Comment on this: write to tellus@sundaytimes.co.za or SMS us at 33971 www.sundaytimes.co.za ers were far from pleased when their club decided to appoint Pochettino and discard Nigel Adkins in January 2013 after he had won back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League.
Former Saints midfielder Jamie Redknapp said the chairman was “deluded”.
Their anger was not soothed by the decision to appoint someone who could not speak English and had never worked in the country before.
They were complaining again when Pochettino left, but this time because the club had failed to keep him. He had arrived with Saints third from bottom in the Premier League and left in May 2014 after Southampton had finished eighth.
Tottenham gave Pochettino a five-year contract in May 2015. In his first season, he took the club to the Capital One Cup final. This season they are in contention for the Premier League title.
Pochettino has not explicitly said he prefers working with younger players, but the team sheet at Spurs tells its own story. A study last year showed Tottenham had the youngest squad in the Premier League.
Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Eric Dier, Ryan Mason — these and more have flourished under Pochettino. Rather like Bielsa at Newell’s all those years ago, the Argentine has empowered his young players.
Writing in his Daily Telegraph column in November, Gary Neville observed: “In my role as an England coach, I have noticed the difference in psychology and application when Tottenham players come into the camp.
“They now arrive prepared for the battle, ready to play, ready to work. They look like they want to partake in the meetings. All the things you would want from responsible players are there.
He was the third coach of the season and it was a huge challenge in a very important season I have noticed a difference in psychology and application when Spurs players come into the camp
“It seems to me that Pochettino has given the younger players the confidence to express themselves, off the pitch as well.”
The Argentine continues to place an emphasis on the collective. One of his ideas is to use “big spaces”, for example playing five-a-side on a bigger pitch than normal, so players have to run further to close down opponents.
If Tottenham do manage to overhaul Leicester City and win their first Premier League title, there will be plenty more handshakes coming Pochettino’s way this summer. — bbc.com