Spurs are looking for Manchester City
THERE may have been no keener observer of Manchester City’s breathless Champions League encounter with Celtic on Wednesday evening than Mauricio Pochettino. The Tottenham Hotspur head coach had probably resolved well before Celtic opted to play City at their own game that fighting fire with fire would be the way to go against the Premier League leaders at White Hart Lane today. But Brendan Rodgers’ tactics may have served to embolden Pochettino as he bids to slow Pep Guardiola’s thundering start as City manager. Celtic were the first opponent City have faced this season who sought from kick off to press high and knock Guardiola’s side out of their stride and the success they had doing so, claiming a 3-3 draw after taking the lead three times, may have offered a blueprint of how best to tackle England’s most in-form side. Rodgers described Celtic’s approach as an “educated press” and it was striking just how uncomfortable City’s back-four and midfield anchorman, Fernandinho, looked under the sort of pressure they are accustomed to exerting, something Pochettino will want to ape. Manchester United had illustrated in the second half at Old Trafford when Jose Mourinho introduced an extra midfielder, pushed Paul Pogba and Marouane Fellaini further upfield and asked Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Marcus Rashford and Wayne Rooney to effectively sit on Bravo and the defenders that it is possible to disrupt City’s rhythm.
In the first half, United had sat much deeper and been picked apart and it seems unlikely Pochettino will make the same mistakes as he asks the likes of Heung-Min Son, Christian Eriksen, Vincent Janssen and Dele Alli to get among City.
He has certainly enjoyed success in the past, employing a high press against Guardiola’s sides. Pochettino had only been at Espanyol a short time when the Spanish club, then bottom of La Liga, faced their cross-city rivals Barcelona, managed by Guardiola, in February 2009.
It had become customary for teams to sit deep against Barcelona and seek to limit the damage but Pochettino took the opposite approach, pressing aggressively and enjoying a little good fortune en route to a 2-1 win.
“There are teams that wait for you and teams that look for you,” Guardiola later said. “Espanyol look for you.” With Celtic’s template doubtless in mind, Spurs will go “looking for” City today. — The Telegraph