3 Reasons Why Mauricio Pochettino Should Ditch Real Madrid’s Interest And Stay At Tottenham
Tottenham delivered one of the finest victories in the club’s history on Wednesday as Dele Alli scored a brace, before a first Champions League goal in five years from Christian Eriksen completed the 3-1 demolition of Real Madrid. With the win, Spurs also sealed qualification for the Champions League knockout stages in the most emphatic manner.
Spurs were lauded for recording a 1-1 draw at Bernabeu but their destruction of the two-time reigning Champions League winners at the Wembley generated a lot of plaudits for manager Mauricio Pochettino.
On the other hand, Madrid endured their first defeat in a Champions League group stage game in 31 attempts. Their last loss came away to Borussia Dortmund in October 2012.
Prior to the game against Spurs, Madrid had lost 2-1 in La Liga to newly promoted side Girona and are already 11 points behind leaders Barcelona in the Spanish top flight. Despite Zinedine Zidane’s success at the Bernabeu, it is not a huge surprise that his future as Real manager is already being questioned after a poor run of form.
And according to recent reports, the Los Blancos have identified Pochettino as their top target to replace current boss Zidane should the Frenchman need to be replaced before the end of the 2017-18 season.
Although, it’s prestigious to become Madrid’s manager, Pochettino should ignore the opportunity and stay put at Tottenham. Here are three reasons why he should do so.
Pochettino Can Win The Premier League With Spurs
That is one of numerous, very good reasons why, at just 45, Pochettino should decide to stick with Tottenham for the long-term and win the Premier League title.
Spurs haven’t won the title since the double-winning year of 1961 and in young Pochettino, they have a personality capable of finally ending the barren run. He left Southampton to take charge of Spurs in 2014, and since then, he has done extremely well.
Based on brave, high-octane, free-flowing attacking football, the Argentine has transformed Spurs into a club which is ready to rub shoulders with the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
Pochettino has overseen a period of very good results, including the one against Madrid but has also implemented a style of play which pleases the eye. There is an argument that he has to win something to deserve the praise coming his way. He has the tactical nous and intelligence to win the Premier League, and his current Spurs side is one of the best in England. But it’s high-time ‘Poch’ starts delivering silverwares to be convinced of his real qualities.
Best Manager To Unearth English Talents
Since Pochettino’s arrival in England, the national team has benefited leaps and bounds. A highly encouraging faith in young players has seen them develop massively. In Southampton, James Ward-Prowse and Luke Shaw made substantial growth, with the latter being signed by Manchester United in 2014.
In his current Spurs side, the likes of Dele Alli, Harry Kane, Eric Dier, Kieran Trippier and Danny Rose are all very much core of the national team, while youngster Harry Winks became the latest player from the club’s academy to win his first English cap.
To watch the vibrant, positive, quality, English-based talent so cleverly coached and knitted together by Pochettino and his staff is delightful.
If Spurs happen to win the coveted Premier League with such a well-defined identity and approach as the one Pochettino has given them this season, it would confirm him as the most influential young coach since Jose Mourinho first made his presence felt at Porto.
Spurs as well as England fans, above all Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate would hope Pochettino stays at London for several years and continues his good job of unearthing English talents.
Madrid Job – A Risky Proposition
Following his arrival at White Hart Lane in 2014, Pochettino has built a Spurs team around young talents as they have quickly understood his methods. His trust on youth players can be compared to that of Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger.
Pochettino has adjusted certain roles and improved players, thereby showing willingness to promote local players from the club’s academy. Rather than breaking the bank for world-class players at Spurs, he has relied more on youth. However, this would not be the case at Madrid.
The European champions are filled with a galaxy of stars and Pochettino, despite being praised for his man-management methods, might find it tough to manage different personalities.
Regardless of managing Espanyol and understanding the general know how of the Spanish league, this is not the right time to jump the boat. At Tottenham, he is yet to win a trophy and that makes the talk of Madrid ludicrous in its very first instance.
Also, the Europe’s best managers have failed significantly to succeed at Real Madrid despite winning trophies elsewhere. The best example is of Rafael Benitez; he craved for the Madrid job all life but when it came in the summer of 2015, he lasted less than six months, failing to live up to the lofty expectations of the club and the fans.
Pochettino should continue his excellent leadership of Tottenham for many years to come. And amidst this development, silverwares must lie ahead.