Rodgers turned Liverpool around in one season, can Pochettino?
Former Liverpool and Republic of Ireland centre-half Mark Lawrenson, who is now a journalist and TV pundit, falls into the usual trap when he talks about managers at Tottenham.
It is rare he tips Spurs for a win so I wouldn't expect him to realise that if you look closer at it Daniel Levy doesn't actually go through that many managers by today's standards.
Let's remember we live in a society that wants everything now and managing a football club is no different. Tony Pulis worked wonders with a squad that wasn't his half way through a season and won manager of the year. It is possible for a manager to have an impact if they are good enough.
Manuel Pellegrini instantly made an impact at Man City, they were very solid initially when he arrived. If you want a manager for longer term then he has to build for the longer term as well, simply doing what Harry Redknapp did and bring in old men loan signings, the same as he has done at QPR doesn't build anything for the future.
I applaud the work Redknapp did with us but it is now management, exactly what owners want, accept when they also want to build a sustainable future as well, then you need to be developing the youth.
Clive Allen together with Alex Inglethorpe have been interim managers twice, as has David Pleat and Tim Sherwood was an interim boss, even if he didn't know it, Levy also inherited a defensive Arsenal man in the job, George Graham so the truth of the matter is he has gone through less managers than other clubs.
Spurs have had 13 managers since and including 2001, of which 5 were interim/caretaker managers so a total of 8 permanent managers.
Premier League Champions Manchester City have had 8 managers since and including 2001, Southampton have had 17, Swansea City have had 13, Newcastle United, WBA, Sunderland have had 12, Blackburn Rovers have had 10, Norwich City have had 9, Fulham have had 8, Aston Villa have had 7.
Chelsea have had 5 managers since 2009 and Mark Lawrenson's Liverpool have had 3 managers in the last 4 seasons. It entirely depends upon how you want to look at it.
When Spurs were broke and mid table we needed a certain type of manager who would play entertaining football, then as the finances started to be sorted the priority was building the club to the point we are at now. In that time if you hire a dud, or your manager loses the dressing room he has to go or the club gets sucked down.
I know Sherwood was an interim boss but assume for a moment that he was retained for next season. Five probably six or more players would have left, the club would not be able to compete with the top four and would have been in danger of finishing 7th or 8th while he tried to build something and learnt the job.
The club can't afford to wait while something is built, with the talent you should be able to do it in a season, that's what Brendan Rodgers did. The talent to finish in the top four is in the squad, it's the managers job to harness that and show there is improvement to come.
Under AVB we simply kept the ball and didn't create anything, we relied on Gareth Bale and when he went nothing changed. There was no sign of any creativity at all, no sign we were going forward.
The fact that Tim Sherwood with no experience and having alienated the squad just as AVB did just as well as the Portuguese speaks volumes.
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In his piece for the Liverpool Echo Lawrenson wrote about Mauricio Pochettino's appointment as Tottenham Hotspur Head Coach.
It is clear to me that Daniel Levy wants a long term manager, that's why he appointed AVB in the first place, he has appointed Mauricio Pochettino for the same reason. If he is as good as my research suggests he is then Tottenham will be challenging for the top four as soon as his pressing game is working effectively, that is the key to everything.
Brendan Rodgers was appointed in 2012 before the summer transfer window opened and the 2012/13 season begun. It took one season to turn the club into title contenders, not just Champions League contenders, why should Tottenham not look for the man who can do the same.
The point Lawrenson overlooks is that Rodgers didn't take Liverpool backwards when finishing 7th, that's where they had finished for a few seasons, 7th, 6th, 8th, 7th. During the same time Spurs finished 4th, 5th, 4th, 5th. Rodgers took Liverpool up 1 places in his first season, if he had been at Spurs and taken them up 1 place while he implemented his ideas then yes he would have still been in the job.
Money has been spent at Tottenham, opportunities have been there but when push came to shove, failure. That may be a brutal assessment but that's what winning is about, excuses are for losers. Not all managers are equal, some are better than others, some fit clubs better than others, when we find a talented manager who fits the club he'll be around for a while, I've no doubt.
If Pochettino can instill his pressing game quickly into the squad then Spurs will surprise a few people, whether that is next season or the season after remains to be seen.
It is rare he tips Spurs for a win so I wouldn't expect him to realise that if you look closer at it Daniel Levy doesn't actually go through that many managers by today's standards.
Let's remember we live in a society that wants everything now and managing a football club is no different. Tony Pulis worked wonders with a squad that wasn't his half way through a season and won manager of the year. It is possible for a manager to have an impact if they are good enough.
Manuel Pellegrini instantly made an impact at Man City, they were very solid initially when he arrived. If you want a manager for longer term then he has to build for the longer term as well, simply doing what Harry Redknapp did and bring in old men loan signings, the same as he has done at QPR doesn't build anything for the future.
I applaud the work Redknapp did with us but it is now management, exactly what owners want, accept when they also want to build a sustainable future as well, then you need to be developing the youth.
Clive Allen together with Alex Inglethorpe have been interim managers twice, as has David Pleat and Tim Sherwood was an interim boss, even if he didn't know it, Levy also inherited a defensive Arsenal man in the job, George Graham so the truth of the matter is he has gone through less managers than other clubs.
Spurs have had 13 managers since and including 2001, of which 5 were interim/caretaker managers so a total of 8 permanent managers.
Premier League Champions Manchester City have had 8 managers since and including 2001, Southampton have had 17, Swansea City have had 13, Newcastle United, WBA, Sunderland have had 12, Blackburn Rovers have had 10, Norwich City have had 9, Fulham have had 8, Aston Villa have had 7.
Chelsea have had 5 managers since 2009 and Mark Lawrenson's Liverpool have had 3 managers in the last 4 seasons. It entirely depends upon how you want to look at it.
When Spurs were broke and mid table we needed a certain type of manager who would play entertaining football, then as the finances started to be sorted the priority was building the club to the point we are at now. In that time if you hire a dud, or your manager loses the dressing room he has to go or the club gets sucked down.
I know Sherwood was an interim boss but assume for a moment that he was retained for next season. Five probably six or more players would have left, the club would not be able to compete with the top four and would have been in danger of finishing 7th or 8th while he tried to build something and learnt the job.
The club can't afford to wait while something is built, with the talent you should be able to do it in a season, that's what Brendan Rodgers did. The talent to finish in the top four is in the squad, it's the managers job to harness that and show there is improvement to come.
Under AVB we simply kept the ball and didn't create anything, we relied on Gareth Bale and when he went nothing changed. There was no sign of any creativity at all, no sign we were going forward.
The fact that Tim Sherwood with no experience and having alienated the squad just as AVB did just as well as the Portuguese speaks volumes.
Recent Articles:
Bertrand vs Rose
Tottenham up 5 places to 23rd
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In his piece for the Liverpool Echo Lawrenson wrote about Mauricio Pochettino's appointment as Tottenham Hotspur Head Coach.
“I have been asked many times this week if I think Mauricio Pochettino is the right fit for Spurs.
“My answer? I genuinely couldn’t tell you. They go through manager after manager at White Hart Lane and I really can’t work out what they are looking for from the man in the dugout.
“Pochettino certainly did a very, very good job at Southampton and the club has become a conveyor belt for excellent young players.
“But Tottenham are a really strange club to manage, it seems.”
“If Spurs are at home and not 1-0 up after half an hour then the murmurs begin to circle around the ground. It has always been like that.”
It is clear to me that Daniel Levy wants a long term manager, that's why he appointed AVB in the first place, he has appointed Mauricio Pochettino for the same reason. If he is as good as my research suggests he is then Tottenham will be challenging for the top four as soon as his pressing game is working effectively, that is the key to everything.
“Pochettino will believe he is the man to bring success to the club but the big question at Spurs is: will he be given the time?
“Liverpool are reaping the benefits of giving Brendan Rodgers time to implement his ideas at Anfield.
“If he had finished seventh at Spurs in his first season would he still be in a job? It’s doubtful.”
Brendan Rodgers was appointed in 2012 before the summer transfer window opened and the 2012/13 season begun. It took one season to turn the club into title contenders, not just Champions League contenders, why should Tottenham not look for the man who can do the same.
The point Lawrenson overlooks is that Rodgers didn't take Liverpool backwards when finishing 7th, that's where they had finished for a few seasons, 7th, 6th, 8th, 7th. During the same time Spurs finished 4th, 5th, 4th, 5th. Rodgers took Liverpool up 1 places in his first season, if he had been at Spurs and taken them up 1 place while he implemented his ideas then yes he would have still been in the job.
Money has been spent at Tottenham, opportunities have been there but when push came to shove, failure. That may be a brutal assessment but that's what winning is about, excuses are for losers. Not all managers are equal, some are better than others, some fit clubs better than others, when we find a talented manager who fits the club he'll be around for a while, I've no doubt.
If Pochettino can instill his pressing game quickly into the squad then Spurs will surprise a few people, whether that is next season or the season after remains to be seen.
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