Mauricio Pochettino - Sacked

[DeanoAustin]

Oh do lighten up Deano! If You Know Your History (!) you will recall that the last time Tottenham, having just finished third, then failed to bring in a single player during the close season they went on to win the League and FA Cup Double.

Point is they had a settled squad of mostly expensive imports brought in during previous seasons, to which was added a few quality home-growns. So the entire squad had gelled over a decent period and had the chance to hone and perfect the system the manager wanted them to play.

Doubtless you will point out that such an achievement is completely irrelevant in the modern era and whilst I'd agree the chances of the present squad even coming near to emulating that glorious Double-winning squad are remote, those same underlying fundamentals remain important ingredients to any side aspiring to win major honours.

Ah I'm light enough thanks

I don't think the window was the catastrophe that certain media outlets portrayed it to be but I strongly believe it was a mistake. The manager also clearly wanted new players. If nothing else, new players allow you to reboot the whole thing and bring a freshness. We're now asking the same group of players and manager, who have looked stale since April, to defy financial gravity to get top 4 again. We could have afforded a couple of good players that would have improved the team/squad. Levy decided to play it safe. I simply think that was the wrong call.

I take exception to the idea that we have automatically regressed, ignoring the youth for the moment, simply having another pre season with our coaching staff should make our players better, one or two are obviously approaching the knackers yard and will drop off, but the bulk of our squad are mid twenties, they should be improving, if not then thats where the failure is, not the transfer committee for refusing to overpay in a crazy market

Keane's comments about us having strong interest in certain players but baulking at the price is being spun into a negative when it's exactly the kind of management that has got us to where we are

That's exactly what he said. And the management that got us to this point is not necessarily the type of management that will improve us.

 

[glorygloryeze]

The only good thing that came out of our lack of activity in the window is that any scrutiny of any footballing failings this season will fall squarely on Levy/the board and there will be ZERO ways in which any failings over the season can be deflected elsewhere...

 

[Baleforce]

The only good thing that came out of our lack of activity in the window is that any scrutiny of any footballing failings this season will fall squarely on Levy/the board and there will be ZERO ways in which any failings over the season can be deflected elsewhere...

how about the players and the coaching staff?

 

[Finney Is Back]

transfers are not the only way to strengthen your squad, you can do it on the training pitch and with the youngsters too

True. Although I would expect Guardiola, Klopp, Sarri and Emery to be strengthening their squad in this way, just as Pochettino is.

 

[glorygloryeze]

how about the players and the coaching staff?

Coaching staff have coaxed the players to get to this point; however
a) players age and eventually their bodies start to limit what they can do
b) the coaching is targeted by our rivals and needs fresh input via new players to be able to broaden the tools at hand to keep said rivals at bay, let alone close the gap with the previous league winners.
Poch knew this hence the request to be brave...alas here we are...

 

[glorygloryeze]

True. Although I would expect Guardiola, Klopp, Sarri and Emery to be strengthening their squad in this way, just as Pochettino is.

Exactly; not like what we are doing isn't being done (in some way shape or form) by our rivals. If the ONLY thing we needed to reach the top was 'coaching' then why haven't we won the league all these years?

 

[Baleforce]

Exactly; not like what we are doing isn't being done (in some way shape or form) by our rivals. If the ONLY thing we needed to reach the top was 'coaching' then why haven't we won the league all these years?

it's not the only thing, but squad maintenance is as important as squad procurement, my point is that it should be happening too and the blanket statement that "only team in the league not to strengthen our squad this summer" (which my post was in reply to) cannot be determined on a single metric

 

[Baleforce]

Coaching staff have coaxed the players to get to this point; however
a) players age and eventually their bodies start to limit what they can do
b) the coaching is targeted by our rivals and needs fresh input via new players to be able to broaden the tools at hand to keep said rivals at bay, let alone close the gap with the previous league winners.
Poch knew this hence the request to be brave...alas here we are...

so the players are completely absolved of blame?

 

[glorygloryeze]

so the players are completely absolved of blame?

No; but did you think the last games of last season post the Chelsea game showed that we didn't need any new signings for the squad? Or do you think the coaching staff have simply downed tools?

 

[Baleforce]

No; but did you think the last games of last season post the Chelsea game showed that we didn't need any new signings for the squad? Or do you think the coaching staff have simply downed tools?

I wouldn't say downed tools, but the squad isn't at the fitness/preparedness level it should be, in addition to that certain players have not been perfect in their actions and self care.

Our squad of players is currently less than the sum of its parts, new parts wouldn't change that.

 

[glorygloryeze]

I wouldn't say downed tools, but the squad isn't at the fitness/preparedness level it should be, in addition to that certain players have not been perfect in their actions and self care.

Our squad of players is currently less than the sum of its parts, new parts wouldn't change that.

The level of fitness/preparedness; is it worse than it would be at this point of the season compared to other seasons? If not, why do you think that is?

 

[Spur of the moment]

Ah I'm light enough thanks

I don't think the window was the catastrophe that certain media outlets portrayed it to be but I strongly believe it was a mistake. The manager also clearly wanted new players. If nothing else, new players allow you to reboot the whole thing and bring a freshness. I'm a now asking the same group of players and manager, who have looked stale since April, to defy financial gravity to get top 4 again. We could have afforded a couple of good players that would have improved the team/squad. Levy decided to play it safe. I simply think that was the wrong call.

For sure Poch wanted to bring in new players and is doubtless frustrated, but fortunately he is also a pragmatist.

We have not only retained (or in the case of Walker replaced) every one of the quality players that got us to second a couple of seasons ago but also strengthened since through the addition of Moura and to a lesser extent Sissoko, so on paper at least, the squad should be capable of making further progress.

Either way, the critical point is that at this moment in time none of us knows exactly how things will pan out this season.We are already ahead of where we were at this stage (edit) last season so all this angst about not spending during the summer seems to me a tad premature if not totally misplaced.

 

[Baleforce]

The level of fitness/preparedness; is it worse than it would be at this point of the season compared to other seasons? If not, why do you think that is?

I'd say it's pretty much the same.

I'd hoped we would have fixed it this season.

 

[glorygloryeze]

I'd say it's pretty much the same.

I'd hoped we would have fixed it this season.

Are you not factoring the world cup, the proximity to the start of the season from the end of the tournament and the number of our squad who participated in it until the latter stages?

 

[Baleforce]

Are you not factoring the world cup, the proximity to the start of the season from the end of the tournament and the number of our squad who participated in it until the latter stages?

9 of our players played in the semis, Son then had his tournament, I'd have liked the rest off the squad primed to start the season full gas

in future I hope we limit the amount of pro bono work our employees are allowed to perform on the summer break

 

[StephenH]

After watching this weekend football I felt quite depressed.
Chelsea vs Liverpool was an excellent football match to watch. Both these finished below us last season and look much improved. Huddersfield managed to give us a game and we looked wearisome all over the pitch.

Have regressed quite markedly?

 

[glasgowspur]

After watching this weekend football I felt quite depressed.
Chelsea vs Liverpool was an excellent football match to watch. Both these finished below us last season and look much improved. Huddersfield managed to give us a game and we looked wearisome all over the pitch.

Have regressed quite markedly?

Can't judge anybody yet, to early.
I did enjoy what I saw of the Chelsea v Liverpool game, two teams happy to attack and use the whole pitch. The only game we've played in against opponents happy to do that this season was Liverpool and they spanked us.
End of this month everyone will have a better idea where we all are.

 

[r-u-s-x]

After watching this weekend football I felt quite depressed.
Chelsea vs Liverpool was an excellent football match to watch. Both these finished below us last season and look much improved. Huddersfield managed to give us a game and we looked wearisome all over the pitch.

Have regressed quite markedly?

Were we not pretty crap last year until mid October?

 

[90291Spur]

I wouldn't say downed tools, but the squad isn't at the fitness/preparedness level it should be, in addition to that certain players have not been perfect in their actions and self care.

Our squad of players is currently less than the sum of its parts, new parts wouldn't change that.

Please inform the forum of which players have ‘not been perfect in their actions and self care’ and how. Sounds fascinating.

 

[StephenH]

Were we not pretty crap last year until mid October?

Can’t remember back that far