Just to confirm everything that's been said about the youth in our side: http://www.football-observatory.com/IMG/sites/b5wp/2015/123/en/ Youngest side in the division and an average age of around 4.5 years younger than West Brom. Doing well to compete with such a lack of experience, though some of our players have a lot for their age. Eriksen's virtually a veteran, despite still only being 23. Over 300 career appearances already.
"Three managers: AVB managed it in 2013." Did he ?? Thought it was 24. "Sticking with AVB for a moment, he's an interesting test case in a manager being out of their depth or not. ..." So he got the minimum 27, won at least half of the away fixtures, total of 72 pts, but still had a fatal slip up that let the Goons in The margin of error is fine indeed at the far ends of the PL table come May.
Well this thread has resurfaced. I think Pochettino is the right man to take us forward right now. We need stability and a manager to keep us in touch with the Sky 5 while we sort the stadium out. Top 4 is distantly achievable but highly unlikely for now even if we change managers to a serious upgrade (and such a manager who would want to come to Spurs and be able to effectively work with the players we have doesn't exist in my opinion) on Pochettino. I don't think Pochettino is as much of a yes man as some perhaps think, although I clearly have no insight into the inner workings of the club so I'm going on gut. I think/hope he was privately furious with the preseason schedule. The transfer dealings of the summer were annoying but by all accounts Berahino was a feasible target who just didn't get done for all sorts of reasons, and apparently we were very close to Ings but he didn't fancy it as he had the impression that strikers found it hard at Spurs (looking at Soldado and Ade I guess, and wondering if what went wrong with them might affect him?) - again that is all conjecture though. Ultimately he has to work with those around him if he wants to keep the job, though I hope he stands up to Levy more in the future and uses evidence of this season so far to show why the sensible approach to preseason, rather than the money spinning one, might be better in the long term. What I also like about him is that he seems to just get on with it. He might seem a little dull in press conferences sometimes but he doesn't seem to court controversy and he seems popular enough amongst the players, so he clearly has some sort of charisma that he just chooses to reign in when on public view. Thats fine and refreshingly different at times from seeing the ridiculous performances of some other managers. What he needs to get better at - tactical awareness and flexibility (a fabled Plan B?), transfer dealings (although how much of that is his fault), substitutions (which are sometimes a bit odd in timing and substance). Apart from that I like him and think he is well placed to lead us for some time to come. Or until he loses another game.
Another masterclass in understatement from Poch in today's press conference. Photo #1: A journalist begins asking a question please log in to view this image Photo #2: The journalist mentions Manchester United please log in to view this image Photo #3: The journalist hasn't even finished asking the question, but Poch has already answered it without uttering a word please log in to view this image It's at around the 1:40 mark of this video
No, not yet Spurf, he still has to prove himself. Jol (for all his good points) was in the end out of his depth and fired. Avb nearly finished top 4, but in the end was out of his depth. Rodgers nearly won the title with Liverpool but was out of his depth. Pochettino is a manager with some good qualities and I'm happy to say he's currently doing a decent job, but the only way he can change my view, is if he proves himself at the business end of the season.
You could say your bias is showing in your reply but no bias here. In terms of Pochettino, he's doing a decent job but unless real success is achieved, in terms of top four or cup success, then as football has shown us over the years, a managers fortunes can change quite quickly so too early for me to change my view.
I don't think that it's bias. Pochettino's doing a good job, in my opinion, but it's not even Christmas yet. I've enjoyed his no-nonsense attitude to players' poor behaviour and the team ethic that he appears to have inspired. It does remain to be seen whether we can keep this up over the course of the season, though. I think that the best way to view it is as we would the manager of another club. Ranieri and Bilic have had great starts to the season, with the exception of the Europa League for the latter. A poor run for either would be a real test, though. We've yet to see if they can steer their sides out of one. Garry Monk started brilliantly for Swansea, but they're struggling right now. Can he turn it around?
"Jol (for all his good points) was in the end out of his depth and fired. Avb nearly finished top 4, but in the end was out of his depth." Arry (for all his good points) blew a 13 pt PL gap and took 15-16 pts from a possible 39 in the business end of the PL season two years running, was in the end out of his depth and fired. <completeness>
No. I spent all of last season totally bored with the tedious play he instilled in our players. A lot of the current criticisms of the LVG at United are exactly the same as I felt about Poch last year. There have been encouraging signs of progress this season but these have been negated IMO by his scandalous approach to the COC game against Arsenal. There is still a ponderous approach in our build up and there remains a fragility at the back. But,credit where it is due, there are signs of progress and undoubtedly the football is a lot easier on the eye, and certainly today was the kind of ballsy performance we have been craving for years. I am more tolerant with the guy than I was, but still have my doubts about him.
I understand the eagerness to view Pochettino as being the "real deal" is because we've failed to reach top four and any sign of us progressing is met with fans desperate to say we're finally making that step up but as mentioned (as you mention) managers form changes quickly and you feel this season we have to finish top four, mainly due to its very unlikely one of the big four will drop out of the race again like Chelsea, while Liverpool and Klopp are going to make a greater challenge. Pochettino clearly has the players behind him, team spirit is good, young players feel confident and Kane is returning to form (of last season), positives are there, but I'm surprised that Spurf would ask that question as we haven't even reached half way stage and even if we remain top four challengers until April, its that crossing the line which will be the test for Pochettino, if he's a top four manager.
To have a chance of being a top four manager, you need a top four squad. We don't have one. Like, O.S. I still am not a confirmed believer, but I think he's doing a pretty good job with the resources he has to hand.
To be fair to Spurf, think he said that for me leaving Redknapp out of my previous post, but that wasn't due to any bias, as Jol done a good job for us, but in the end was out of his depth in terms of dealing with a team that could finish top four or win trophies. AVB (a manager I had a real dislike for) had a difficult job, however in the end he was out of his depth, while I mentioned Rodgers as he was also out of his depth and all three managers mentioned, left the club in a position of being some distance away from the clubs ambitions. Redknapp left us in 4th and while fans are entitled to make cheap shots (if they wish) calling our most successful premier league "out of his depth" would (for me) be OTT, considering he left us in 4th and took us on a great champions league run. But lets not turn another Pochettino thread into a Redknapp debate!
"To have a chance of being a top four manager, you need a top four squad. We don't have one." As I have said over several seasons, the squad has a latent number of PL points in them. And that this number has been in the 60s for effectively a decade. What we are looking for in the manager is to get more than that baseline out of the squad. Whether that is helping players reach their potential (Bale etc) , utilising the full extent of the squad to mitigate against injuries/fatigue, formations etc.
"AVB (a manager I had a real dislike for) had a difficult job, however in the end he was out of his depth, while I mentioned Rodgers as he was also out of his depth and all three managers mentioned, left the club in a position of being some distance away from the clubs ambitions." Burn Hollywood burn. I smell a Narrative (TM) going on ...
Look,at it any way you want, that's never a top four squad. We lack the instinct to kill games off. If Kane cops a serious injury, were ****ed - probably likewise Eriksen. And we are still a tad vulnerable at the back. In short, with a complete, always available first eleven, we're as good as anybody on our day. But, the squad is way to thin in vital areas, still.
Out of the current teams that could finish top four, due to Chelsea's poor run of form and Liverpool being in transition, we have as good as chance as any team, unless we believe Leicester, West ham and Saints are contenders?
