Spurs Are Ahead Of Schedule

The Bigger Picture - Spurs Are Ahead Of Schedule

Spurs are ahead of schedule

The Bigger Picture - Spurs are ahead of schedule says Mauricio Pochettino, who spoke exclusively to Sky Sports Soccer Saturday and his words were a reminder to some Spurs fans who are getting ahead of themselves.

"We signed nearly four years ago, and from the beginning we tried to reduce the gap and create a project to arrive at a very position for the new stadium, and to have the possibility to fight to be in the Champions League. We are ahead in that project."

Always we need to be looking at the reality of the situation and the bigger picture. The Toby Alderweireld is a fine example. You can read all about that and the repercussions i this article:
The REALITY of the Alderweireld Situation

Incidentally to follow on from that, here are a couple of articles on just some of our transfer targets, one to replace Alderweireld.
Ryan Sessegnon and Joshua King
Which centre-back should replace Alderweireld?

We are ahead in our project, Pochettino reveals. That tells us that we planned to build the team, we planned to build the new stadium and be competing for a UEFA Champions League place then, perhaps in the season before we moved into the stadium.

If we qualify again, that will be the third year on the trot, so in the respect of team building we are a couple of years ahead of schedule at least. That growth plan will have taken account of our finances, then and going forward. TV money for instance, is known 3 years in advance, as soon as the deal is signed. That is then already planned into budgets, so it isn't new money that suddenly appears out of the blue as some Spurs fans seem to think.

Some are citing this 'new'money as a source to pay Alderweireld what he wants, not an option in reality. We have plans to increase contracts each year, a) to increase wages and b) to tie players to long contracts so that is they decide to leave we can charge maximum amounts for them. That is sound business.

I band on about mentality, simply because it is the be all and end all of top level sport. You have to aim to be the best and we are aiming for Barcelona standard. That drags us up to a higher level than if we aimed for the then Arsenal standard or Chelsea standard.

I wrote a whole series of articles on mentality and one on each player making tiny little improvements to his game each day, which is the aim of those with a winning mentality. The Kaisen approach. If everyone in the squad improved I pointed out that would be over 1,000 improvements and that would impact on our performances. We can see that happening.

"I think the most important [thing] is to create a platform, create an institute where players we bring in feel comfortable. I think all the players need coaching; if you do not push the player they are going to be too comfortable. Always you need to push. 

"I listen to players like [Giorgio] Chiellini recently, or a player that has finished their career like Rio Ferdinand, they say it is always about learning. Learn, learn, learn, every day. If you are 25, 30, 35, you need to think you can learn every day. If not, you are going to go backwards, and of course you are going to fail, and you begin to see the end of your career. 

"That's the mentality we need, and a big percentage of our players have this mentality."

A big percentage, not all you note.

You can see why I suggest we become the best in the world at mentally pre-assessing players before we buy them, that we use Sports Psychologists to asses the real mentality of a player rather than what he says is his mentality. We research character already, but there is always room for improvement.

We must stick to our plan, stick to what is working. You want out then you are no longer a part of the project, you are not the future and thus you work and build with those who are a part of that future.Always looking forward. It's why Walker was dropped for Trippier and now Alderweireld is on the sidelines for Sanchez.

A comment on Twitter suggests Toby Alderweireld's Dad was once barred from the club. That tells me that Alderweireld and his advisers are demanding top money, but that he actually would prefer to stay at Spurs. The fact that we have offered him less than he wants and this has shattered a relationship comes out of disappointment.

The Alderweireld camp wouldn't lose their rag is he was intent on leaving before negotiations,as they would just demand a top wage and sit quietly if we didn't accept it. All the noise is because they are upset and now if they want that wage realise they will have to leave, unless of course he has decided he wants to join a rival and we are refusing to even contemplate it, insisting he goes abroad, which is a distinct possibility too.

Whatever the situation, he isn't our future now. Players like Josh Onomah and Marcus Edwards have got to show that willingness to improve every day,they have to show the right mentality and I don't see it in them yet. That isn't to say they won't acquire it, but without it they will not reach the very top, which is where we expect all players to strive to be.

These articles are still relevant from last February:

How a winner sees things
Gary Neville on what it takes to be a winner

COYS

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