Pochettino; talk them up, not down, and then things might change

[Glenn R]

Pochettino; talk them up, not down, and then things might change.
   So we witnessed another defeat; Manchester City 4 Spurs 1; we could analyse it and come up with excuses. Such as; we missed a penalty, and two of our goals were conceded by penalties. We had a player sent off. Then there is the league table. I did say awhile back that either Chelsea or City will win the league, and they are first and second, respectably, at the moment. Between City and ourselves Southampton and West Ham are lurking, surely they will not be able to continue their remarkable runs (we beat Southampton, who beat Sunderland 8-0, and of course our victory over the Hammers at Upton park on the opening game of the season, so that is ok then). Then there are Liverpool, United, Ars*nal, and Swansea who are one point above us; it is looking better, isn’t it?
   The last couple of seasons we have been relying on other clubs to fall so that we could climb up the league table. The truth of the matter is, is that we are not good enough. We definitely need another striker or two to join us in the January sales… however, and in the meantime…
   Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino said of the match: "I think the first penalty after we scored made it difficult for us. We played 70 minutes when we were always in the game. Manchester City have very good players. The result was bad but there are a lot of positives to take. The first penalty for me was ridiculous but we need to accept the decision. We need to review the game - my feeling was it is not a red card. A lot of things happened. It's difficult to analyse.” He then said, “We always believed it was possible to get a point."
   First, we should not be talking about a point, but winning. That is a defeatist attitude. Do you think managers’ of top clubs talk about draws or defeats? They instil positiveness in their players. That is how Bill Nicholson built his great teams – and was part of a great team (league champions 50/51). Football is also a psychological game. It is not just about fit bodies, but being in the right frame of mind as well, so that the players can cope with the rigors of top-flight football.
   Pochettino also said that City “have very good players.” Yes; but what about our players? Does he not think we are equal to them? The players will read what he said and just those words alone will knock them back. What he should have said, yes, they have good players, but so do we. What we think, the media think or even the readers of this article think is unimportant. It is about creating and sending out subliminal/ subconscious and conscious messages to his players. Get them to believe they are equal or just as good as the best teams in the land (if not the world).
   He then makes other excuses; s**t happens. However, he should always be thinking of the next match, building up his team with confidence. He should have said we SHOULD HAVE WON. Not “have got a point.” Pochettino has a philosophy; that philosophy should also include building a mental steel bonding that runs through the psych of his team.
   Now read what the Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini said: "It's a very good victory for us. It is always difficult to come back from the international break. We played well, we scored four goals, and I do not know how many chances we had. We must now start to think about Champions League. We are going to Russia [to face CSKA Moscow on Tuesday] to win. For me it is a good pressure to win all the games when you have a good team. We made five or six changes. I trust a lot in this squad."
  He talks his team up. As other great managers do. Mark Hughes, before the game against City (a couple of weeks ago), talked his players and team up. They beat City 1-0, and at their ground, to-boot. City can be defeated, just not by us. Stoke may not have the money or the strength of clubs like City, Spurs, Ars*nal, United and Chelsea, but what Hughes lacks in financial support, he makes up for it by instilling a belief in his players that they can win. The same can be said of Ronald Koeman, Southampton’s new manager. Even Pochettino, at Southampton, last year, talked up his players. So why is he not doing it now, at Spurs? Is he already pissed off that a great club like Spurs did not bring him the players he wanted? What he expected from a club like Tottenham.
   Are we not better than clubs like Southampton, West Ham, and Swansea, who are above us? The players we have are a lot better than the way they have been playing; all they need is a confidence and a belief in themselves, which can easily be instilled by their manager.
  In the next couple of weeks we have got some less demanding teams to face (that is less demanding than Liverpool or City, well, in theory), so it would be nice if Pochettino got his philosophy into gear, along with building up his players psychological strength, and win all those games. That is eight games, and then we face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday 3rd of December. Simples! By then our (that is the teams) steel, backbone and psychological potency will be no match against José Mourinho wonder boys. And before you all start laughing, last season Sunderland went to Stamford Bridge and took Mourinho’s undefeated home record away from him. The same team that got thrashed by Southampton 8-0. Of course, we are talking Spurs here, so we might be just looking up our own rectum to see if the sun truly does shine between the cracks. No doubt, you all will be shouting “what a load of fantasy/ bulls**t etc.” Possible (or more than possible). At the same time, you will be hoping that dreams do come true. I am sure that Pochettino will be hoping that his philosophy will eventually come right and he will reap the rewards that a top club like Tottenham Hotspur can bring him. But then again so did AVB and Sherwood hope that it will come right in the end, and look what happened to them.   

Until next time, enjoy (or not, depending on the results).

COYS

[Spursx]

Very good article voice and I agree. I did notice, when watching Match of the Day, that he gave a lot of credit to the opposition. I also agree that the players haven't played to their full potential, however, there is only so much time we can give the players a chance before thinking of selling and buying in.

[Glenn R]

Let us hope that last night was the beginning of a change around. Next stop Newcastle.

[Jane]

Good points voice, but I am not too sure. It could be because of his bad English that gave the wrong impression.

Jane x

[Metalanimal]

Voice great article, you have touched on some very valid points.

Poch is still very inexperienced in management terms, however they key to any great manager that is responsible for others is to get the best out of your workforce, this is something an individual possesses naturally and only becomes stronger and more efficient in through experience and self development.  This is generally achieved in a combination of various methods, examples such as 1-2-1 relationship building and individual personal development, displays of faith and confidence within the team and to external parties, then of course strategy relevant to the industry.

Poch to date hasn't been great in the media, certainly lacks the class of AVB.  I do however feel that he is developing individual players well as we have seen vast improvements in certain players.  When at Southampton he employed tactics and a playing strategy of free flowing attacking football which is the THFC way, I am puzzled why this has changed since arriving at our club.

There were positives form the Man City game, but you are right Poch should be installing a mindset in the team that we are going for the win, the 3 points, regardless of who we play against.  Develop a mental toughness, whereby we go out to destroy the opposition as quickly a possible, ruthless and without mercy, keep fighting to the last and if we are in a position whereby we can salvage a point from 0 points then great but never ever should we be approaching a match looking for just a point!

After our fantastic display and result Thursday I am hoping a lot has been learnt and we turn out with the same passion and desire Sunday against Newcastle, the same tactic would be very welcome but with a much tighter defense.

Poch has my full support as does my beloved team but I can see how far behind others we are in terms of development and consistent performance and currently that gap is ever increasing, hope this will soon reverse.

[RiffHard]

I really feel Pochettino's lack of English could play part. His vocabulary is primitive to say the least and I wonder how he gets his point across to players.

[Glenn R]

I really feel Pochettino's lack of English could play part. His vocabulary is primitive to say the least and I wonder how he gets his point across to players.

On the pitch his assistants/ aides speaks both languages so he doesn't have the same problems as he does with the media. Don't forget that at Southampton he had an interpreter, however, Levy insisted that he speaks English in front of the cameras.

[Glenn R]

Voice great article, you have touched on some very valid points.

Poch is still very inexperienced in management terms, however they key to any great manager that is responsible for others is to get the best out of your workforce, this is something an individual possesses naturally and only becomes stronger and more efficient in through experience and self development.  This is generally achieved in a combination of various methods, examples such as 1-2-1 relationship building and individual personal development, displays of faith and confidence within the team and to external parties, then of course strategy relevant to the industry.

Poch to date hasn't been great in the media, certainly lacks the class of AVB.  I do however feel that he is developing individual players well as we have seen vast improvements in certain players.  When at Southampton he employed tactics and a playing strategy of free flowing attacking football which is the THFC way, I am puzzled why this has changed since arriving at our club.

There were positives form the Man City game, but you are right Poch should be installing a mindset in the team that we are going for the win, the 3 points, regardless of who we play against.  Develop a mental toughness, whereby we go out to destroy the opposition as quickly a possible, ruthless and without mercy, keep fighting to the last and if we are in a position whereby we can salvage a point from 0 points then great but never ever should we be approaching a match looking for just a point!

After our fantastic display and result Thursday I am hoping a lot has been learnt and we turn out with the same passion and desire Sunday against Newcastle, the same tactic would be very welcome but with a much tighter defense.

Poch has my full support as does my beloved team but I can see how far behind others we are in terms of development and consistent performance and currently that gap is ever increasing, hope this will soon reverse.

Thanks and you also make some good points. We had a good victory on Thursday and that must be repeated on Sunday. I also think that Kane should be playing because of his hat trick (not because of his goalkeeping ).

[Spursx]

I really feel Pochettino's lack of English could play part. His vocabulary is primitive to say the least and I wonder how he gets his point across to players.

After Sunday's game he needs to do something to communicate with his players. Maybe, instead of speaking in his broken English try a more physical interpretation, like a kick up the arse type of thing.

[RSS61]

12. “Players lose you games, not tactics. There’s so much crap talked about tactics by people who barely know how to win at dominoes.”

A quote by Brian Clough. Sums up our current situation perfectly I think.

[dimexi]

"I just told him to tell Pavlyuchenko to f**king run around a bit.” —Harry Redknapp

Sometimes keeping it simple and giving the players the freedom to express themselves is all that is required to get the best from them. I think tactics are important as an ethos for better organisation and team ethics, however, some players need and are better for them, others are not. They just get confused and in a muddle.

Maybe, Poch is trying to do too much at once. Get back to basics and introduce one idea at a time, allow the team to evolve into his vision.

[yidmafioso]

We saw how much  good "tactics" can do under ramos .The players didn`t have a clue what to do.I can`t understand why teams have dropped the 4-4-2 system.English clubs ruled europe between 1977 and 1982 using it and liverpool went on to win another european cup in 1984.Kepp it simple and put some f**king effort in.That should do it.

[Metalanimal]

Is attacking not classed as a tactic, a tight defense not a tactic?

Whilst I agree complicated tactics are not suitable and can cause massive confusion you do need tactics, a game plan and strategy ideally adapted for the game at hand and also suited to the players abilities that you have available.

The latter is where Poch is falling down at the moment, trying to play his way when he doesnt have the players to do so.

[RSS61]

We saw how much  good "tactics" can do under ramos .The players didn`t have a clue what to do.I can`t understand why teams have dropped the 4-4-2 system.English clubs ruled europe between 1977 and 1982 using it and liverpool went on to win another european cup in 1984.Kepp it simple and put some f**king effort in.That should do it.

Pretty much what we did against Everton, and that worked !!

[Glenn R]

Is attacking not classed as a tactic, a tight defense not a tactic?

Whilst I agree complicated tactics are not suitable and can cause massive confusion you do need tactics, a game plan and strategy ideally adapted for the game at hand and also suited to the players abilities that you have available.

The latter is where Poch is falling down at the moment, trying to play his way when he doesnt have the players to do so.

Maybe that is why he changed his system against Everton and won.