Misjudged Levy & Underestimated Pochettino - the right couple

Perception is a wonderful thing, out chairman is perceived as being ruthless, a hatchet man, yet in truth he is no different that any other chairman.

Misjudged Levy & Underestimated Pochettino - the right couple


He has sacked 9 managers but Tim Sherwood was only ever an interim manager so dismissing him is meaningless.

Press and fans alike fail to look beyond the short term, fail to see a longer picture and fail to understand what he is doing. He has a strategy of developing youth, of building a conveyor belt of talent from the academy to the first team or of buying youth and improving it. With that he requires a manager who can make a difference, the way Tony Pulis made a difference at Crystal Palace, the way Mauricio Pochettino made a difference at Southampton.

Both took a relegation side and moved them to mid table security with basically the same set of players. They showed that not all managers are equal, some are better than others, however until someone is in a job and you have had a good look at them you don't know whether they have that added ingredient or not. If they haven't then simply sticking with them for the sake of it or 'stability' is a waste of time. Stability is actually only ever any good if it is leading somewhere, if the manager in question is not perceived to have the ability to take a club to the next step then sticking with them for the sake of it is a waste of time.

The manager you stick with is the right one when you find him. We have had managers take us to the top 5 level, which is now a top 7 level. That was one goal, now the goal is bigger, harder and the club have been searching for the right man to take that next step as well as build a legacy of youth talent. As soon as that man is found he'll be given the time to put the strategy into practice.

Misjudged Levy & Underestimated Pochettino - the right couple


Mauricio Pochettino understands that and isn't concerned by his future, why should he, he has faith in his ability and if that faith is justified then he has a top job job at a top club for a long time.

"I do not worry about that. I know the business in football. I know that you live by the result, you need to get results. If not, you put yourself in difficulties. But the club and the chairman do not put any pressure on me or any challenges for me to achieve something.  
"We have a very good relationship. Every day we talk together, with Franco Baldini and the chairman and with all the board and people here, and try to do the best to help the club and for our supporters to enjoy every game. 
"Pressure is not from outside, from the media or supporters, it’s my pressure. Our philosophy and style is to win every game."

The press of course want a timescale, they look at previous managers and how long they have lasted and assume Pochettino must have the same timescale, that simply shows a lack of understanding of what Daniel Levy is trying to achieve at Spurs. There is no timescale, show the requisite ability and you have all the time you need. Working with a manager every day the club can see if they have found the man with the X factor, the players have certainly bought into his philosophy and are thoroughly enjoying life.

“No, I don’t put any time on it. We need to improve every day. This is our objective. After that we need to get results. I don’t demand time. It’s only to work hard every day, to build and improve every player in the squad.  
After, always in football, the result manages your career and the decisions, because we need to win. This is our job, not only to provide your philosophy to the team and your style. You need to win, this is the first objective."

And there speaks a man who knows to achieve anything you have to plan it and have objectives along the way. One step at a time, making small improvements continuously, to each player, to the club that over time build big improvements.

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It is the same method England used to win the Rugby World Cup, the same method British cycling used, the same method I talked about in the 'Spurs need to go mental' series, the same method we now, it seems, employ.

Making little improvements will be noticed, will be seen and will afford Pochettino time to carry on his work, of that I have no doubt. We will then have the fabled stability to build success upon as we move into a new stadium.