ZZ is great, but Poch ticks all the boxes if United want a real future
THERE are three reasons why Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino is so well-liked as a manager.
One, the two-way trust he develops with his players.
Two, the opportunity he provides for youngsters.
And, three, the style of play his teams produce.
It really is that simple and when you’re in charge of a football team, if you can get those basics right, you are going to go very, very far in the game.
Misconception
But if you get them wrong, then you start to become a manager who… One, digs out his players.
Two, becomes known as someone who doesn’t promote youth.
And, three, is seen to have a style of play which makes him yesterday’s man.
Sound familiar? Of course, it does and it’s why Jose Mourinho is gone from Old Trafford, with Pochettino and Zinedine Zidane installed as the two clear favourites to replace him.
One of the things I really like about Pochettino is the way he comes across in the media and on television.
There’s a misconception that managers and players interact every day at training, but often they see the boss on TV as much as they see him face-to-face.
Many managers come out on to the training fields and say, “Right, I want this, that and the other”, and then they leave their coaches to get on with the session.
So, when you’re watching your gaffer from the sofa, you take in what he’s saying and when you see someone such as Pochettino never getting too high or low – and always setting out a progressive message – you think, “I can buy into this”.
He does have a very good record with
VIRGIL
VAN DIJK is currently the best
central defender in the
world. He scores goals and
was very good in terms of
being able to keep Wolves at bay on
Friday night – on another occasion
they could have scored at least one
goal,maybe two. But his overall influence
in this Liverpool team now
is such that,if they do win the title,
a lot of the credit that will be laid for
at his door. He was absolutely world
class and scored a fantastic
goal at an opportune time. young players as well, although I’m not sure that we should go too overboard about that.
Ostensibly, because he probably didn’t have too much choice but to go down that route, given the money that had been wasted on those players who came in at White Hart Lane when Gareth Bale was sold.
Even so, we can still praise the way Pochettino has used his young players and the reason every ex-pro likes him is because they know what it was like to be an 18 to 23-year-old hoping to be given an opportunity.
Sabbatical
Certainly, if you compare the way Tottenham and Chelsea have handled their academy stars, you can’t help but be impressed.
Spurs give a good percentage of theirs a chance to grow in a Premier League environment.
Chelsea, in contrast, pack a huge proportion of theirs off to Vitesse Arnhem and all around the Championship and, before they know it, they are 27 and playing mid-table, second-tier football.
I know Spurs supporters will probably now have a nervous wait until the end of the season to see if United or Real Madrid come calling in the summer and, if they do, whether or not Pochettino will go, but I’m confident that’s not a worry that will pass down to the players.
And the one thing I do know is that, if I were a United fan, I’d be delighted with either the Argentinian or Zidane ( l eft) as Mourinho’s replacement.
If you want a manager capable of leading you for the next five or more years, then Pochettino has proved he can build something, that players don’t get bored with him and his staff, and that he can manage up as well as down.
But if you want someone who will come in for two to three years, build on what is a fairly solid platform, bring cachet, win trophies and keep the cash tills ringing before ducking out for another sabbatical, then Zizou is your man.
The one thing I do keep thinking about appointing Zidane is that you can guarantee there will be no repeat of the David Moyes situation where some United players disparagingly called him “Everton”.
“Here he is, look, Real.”
It doesn’t quite have the same impact, does it?