How Poch and Spurs would love to be in Klopp’s shoes
IMAGINE if Harry Kane had told a pre-season press conference he might have quit Spurs if they had won the Champions League.
What if the England captain had said: “Maybe if it was a different result after the final you can think, ‘OK, maybe this is a moment to step out of the club…’”
Apart from anything else, it would tell you that, sooner or later, he is going to be out of there.
Instead, it was Mauricio Pochettino, in a version of something he said prior to the defeat by Liverpool in Madrid, who uttered these words. The same manager who has a contract that stretches until 2023.
The same manager entrusted, as the club starts its first full season in its magnificent freshly-built stadium, to take Spurs into a new era.
And to be fair, he is clearly focused on doing just that… for now. “I love a massive challenge, a difficult challenge and, of course, now to rebuild that mentality, to make it possible to repeat a similar season, that is exciting and motivates me a lot,” he said.
Pochettino putting pressure on himself is a good thing and it IS a massive challenge for him.
The gap between Spurs and the Premier League’s top two last season was relatively yawning.
And although Tanguy Ndombele looks a very decent acquisition, Pochettino will surely hope for more additions before the transfer window closes in less than three weeks time.
Optimistically, Spurs can challenge for the top honour.
Realistically, another top- four finish would be an achievement, but they do have a very motivated marquee player to go with the manager.
Kane, sat alongside Pochettino, also spoke last week and explained just how much the loss in Madrid hurt. He also spoke about there being no excuses for not having a trophy in the five years under the man sat on his right.
As long as they continue without a major gong, Kane’s own future will be subject to speculation.
But he hardly invites it on himself. Unlike Pochettino.
Presumably, if Spurs reach an o t h e r Champions League Final next season, we will have the same rigmarole.
That is some way down the line, but it still creates an element of uncertainty.
Contrast that with the certainty over at the club that won the Champions League Final.
Also on pre-season tour, Jurgen Klopp was being quizzed about the possibility of a new contract.
In the afterglow of the European success, Klopp could have gone to Fenway Sports Group and written his own new contract.
He could have cashed in immediately, but did not.
Instead, he said it is too early to consider another deal as he has three years of his current agreement to run.
But, just in case any Liverpool fan might see it as some sort of cause for concern, Klopp was quick to reassure.
“I will not leave before the contract is ending,” he declared. “That is my side.”
And you can be absolutely certain he means it.
So no matter what stellar job comes up next – whether it be Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Paris SaintGermain, whoever – Klopp will not be linked. Pochettino will.
And even in that small way, it’s hard not to think Liverpool have already got a head start.