As I think I have mentioned before, he is very fussy where he wants his children to be brought up and has rejected several moves because they would have meant uprooting his family. I gather a move to Watford means he can remain in the area he lives and his kids can continue to go to the same school.
is he still coaching the strikers? Last I heard, it was him and not ferdinand, for some bizarre reason.
Steffen Freund is clearly a very talented coach and future spurs manager and that shouldn't be overlooked just because he asked players to shoot at a empty goal to improve their confidence!
Apologies if this has been posted elsewhere but this seemed as good a place as any to draw attention to the link to Poch's most recent escapade into Spurs TV, in which he states that Freund will be staying on the coaching staff (for whatever reason), as OS mentioned at the bottom of the last page, and talks about other basic, highly predictable club stuff. http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/mauricio-on-spurs-tv-110614/ English seems pretty good. At least on par with AVB from that interview, and with less deep, gruff, manly "eeeeeeerrrrrrrrr"s
Every year, there is a large intake of new kids into the academy set up and Freund was heavily involved in this earlier this year. It was noticed that his extrovert personality and considerable personable skills, played a major part in influencing some talented kids to choose Spurs ahead of other options. That makes him good to have around the club, but of course doesn't mean he is first team coaching material.....
Makes a change, most look for the biggest pay packet, nice to see someone puting their family first rather than making them up and move.
I enjoyed Poch's interview, when the commentator asked about double sessions, I love his "sometimes 3" response, he tried to make it a joke but I sensed he was being deadly serious and I love that we have a manager who's gonna make our lot bust a gut in training, they're paid so much money and it's about time they bloody earn it both on and off the pitch.
Surely you've heard this crap before ?? All new managers make big noises on what they're going to do on the fitness side, because they know fans love to hear this. Fans love the idea of players working hard to justify their huge wages and incoming managers deliberately play on this. I am not doing cartwheels over this appointment, and having listened to that interview, I am even more tempted to be cynical over the decision.
I agree with you. Plus, the poor guy has lost tons of confidence and I think he privately quite welcomes a step down and out of the limelight.
What about Chris Ramsey? Or, as it would be rude not to ask (and that's the only reason I'm asking...) Sir Les?
Ramos is the only other guy in recent years where I remember hearing about doing extra sessions and while it didn't exactly work out for him, I think that was mainly down to his personality, he seemed a very distant guy who the players couldn't really get to like and bond with. Poch has built up a reputation of supposed double/ triple sessions and putting his players through their paces while also maintaining the likeability factor, which I think is a good mix and something our lads need. Besides he's hardly going to say in his interview that training will be light and easy is he?
Fair enough, I suppose it worked well enough for Saints to get a respectable position for them. I doubt triple sessions will be necessary for players whose summer breaks have been short due to WC commitments. As I say, all new managers at clubs always make great emphasis on "new regimes" to sort out fitness levels, when in reality the players they inherit are already up to full fitness. I see his comments as a cheap and unnecessary dig at previous regimes.
I didn't see it as that with regards to the training comments, at least. I felt he was joking and trying to play down the idea that he was going to be running them into the ground in training by saying that the players have nothing to fear and that they use commonsense. From what Lambert(I think it was) said, it sounds like although there is a fitness focus to the extra training but it was also to do with the tactical approach so everyone knew what they were doing within the system. But hey it's not the first time I've disagreed with you and stuck up for a manager and look how that one turned out My main worry with Pochettino is in the short term, if in the early stages he can do enough to get the supporters behind him and keep the media off his back then I'm optimistic he'll do well with us. I enjoyed watching Southampton last season and hope to enjoy us playing a similar style this season.
With hindsight, I think the sentence you highlighted from my previous post, would have been more appropriate had Poch joined us mid season. He hasn't, so I withdraw that observation.
