THRASHING DOWN A BOMB
MAURICIO POCHETTINO is unlikely to be throwing any grenades at his critics.
But in every other regard he is leaning on the experience of mentor Marcelo Bielsa as he tries to turn Tuesday’s disastrous 7-2 home defeat against Bayern Munich into a triumph come the end of the season.
Ahead of today’s trip to Brighton, the Tottenham manager likened events this week to a 6-0 home defeat he suffered as a teenager playing for Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina.
After the game the Old Boys ultras were so incensed that they marched on the Bielsa family home.
They were met by the sight of the current Leeds boss carrying a hand grenade and threatening to pull the pin and throw it unless they cleared off. He then chased them away for several blocks.
Thankfully, the worst thing being thrown Pochettino is the accusation that he has taken Spurs team as far as he is able.
But memory tells him with the right management the Munich defeat could ultimately work to Tottenham’s advantage.
“I don’t remember ever losing by seven as a player,” he said.
“But I have lost 6-0 with Marcelo. It would have been in February 1992.
“Second game of the season against San Lorenzo – 6-0 at home. It was really, really, really painful. Similar to Bayern Munich.
“But that season, we finished by winning the Premier League in Argentina six months later.
“And we even reached the final of the Copa Libertadores, only losing to Sao Paulo on penalties.
“In six months, we changed completely the perception.
“Sometimes this type of situation makes you stronger and, of course, better.
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“That is the most important thing. We need to be clever and learn from this type of situation. at his That was 27 years ago – now it is a different era, a different period of people. But of course, it was an experience.
“I was 19 years old then and how I perceived the situation was different to how I see it now.
“But I remember Bielsa talking to us individually and talking to the collective, making changes and slowly turning around the situation.
“Football changes, society changes, but the principle and psychology are still there 30 years later.”
Pochettino even attempted a light-hearted moment when asked if he would be going through a video of their Champions League mauling.
“We don’t need to show nothing,” he said. “Not one clip. They all know deep inside what happened.
“When the result is as painful as it was on Tuesday, you will not fix it by showing how good we were – or how bad!”
With Serge Aurier suspended, Moussa Sissoko will continue to deputise as an emergency right-back but after a disappointing week Dele Alli could find himself back on the bench.
A stop-start season, due to injury, meant the midfielder was left out of Gareth Southgate’s 25-man England squad to face the Czech Republic next week, followed by a trip to Bulgaria.
And Pochettino thinks that could be just what he needs to get him back on track again.
“Dele is focused on trying to recover his best,” the Spurs boss said. “For sure he will achieve it. Only it will take time.
“Different reasons mean he is a little bit below his best but he is going to be an important player for the club this season.
“Two weeks working here is going to be good for him. He is still 23 years old. He is very young. I have no doubt he is going to be at his best again.”