An extract from the Mauricio Pochettino private diary

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I thought I’d gather my thoughts before our next big game against those nice lads who play for Eddie Howe at Bournemouth. I like Bournemouth – nice beaches.

Anyway it was so good to see my lads return from those dreaded International matches relatively unscathed. I do worry about them, especially young Harry Kane. What would I do if he gets injured.

My wife tells me I’m very tetchy when they are away with their teams. The trouble is these breaks are a real bloody nuisance, breaking up the flow – we were on a really good run before they were all taken away from me.

It was nice to see them back at our lovely training ground – it really is a different world there. I think I could get to like this, in fact I might stay for a long time, that is unless Barcelona don’t come calling. Mind you that independence thing is a bit of a worry…..mmmm food for thought.

It was really good to see Harry continuing his scoring run – he really is on fire at present. I thought the comments yesterday by Pep was a little disrespectful to our lads….and me. Anyway I will have my say on the pitch at Wembley today, which brings me to another matter.

Some people say that we are struggling with the pitch at Wembley, because we are not used to using the wide open spaces. It is true that it’s vastness is proving to be a challenge for me and the lads.

I feel we’ve become over cautious and in truth I don’t think I’ve got the lads mindset right. We’ve lacked a little confidence in our own ability, the full backs haven’t exploited the space and our high pressing game has all but disappeared at home. I’ll have to check back on my notes and look to give one of my inspirational speeches before they go out today.

Today – a special day as I hear we are likely to break the Premier League attendance record. How good is that. I’m almost spoilt for choice as many of the lads who were injured are starting to get fit again – how good is that. Lovely Jubbly.

I think I’ll go three at the back again, play Kieran and Ben with instructions to play like wingers, probably go with Winksy and Eric the Halibut in holding midfield. Did you see Winksy on the telly. I was chuffed for him. There is even talk that he might go to the World Cup with England, which would be just reward for such a lovely lad.

I think I’m going to go with Sonny, Christian and Dele as the attacking three. I’ve been a little worried by some of the performances from Dele. He seems to have been on his backside more than on his feet – and where have all the lovely goals gone. I’m worried he’s got his mind on other things – like money. I just read this nasty report in The Sun that he wants a pay rise from £50,000 per week to £160,000. That new agent of his is starting to annoy me, grrr!!

And up front the lovely Harry Kane. Who’d have thought when we watched him all those times, when he was on loan and with us that he’d turn into the best all-around centre forward in the Premier League….the world even. Scores with his left, his right, and his head. Can’t be bad Diary to have him front and centre today can it.

Anyway Diary must go the bus will be here soon and the wife says I’ve still got to pop down Brookfield Farm for some breakfast bits. It’s not all glamour you know.

Come On You Spurs

 

Picked 12 starters there bazza lol so should get the result lol. Personally I'd leave alli out.

 

Lol big fran.....in Poch we trust....he knows how to cope with that big pitch....priceless. I knew there was a solution somewhere....

 

Nice one Poch. Whichever team he picks, needs to be mindful of Real Madrid midweek. Would like to see Kane Eriksen Davies given a breather especially if we get an early lead.

 

What is it with the Spurs fans on here?nobody with a match report so we can have a good discussion of the match?and before you ask why I do not write one, Panama is a long way to travel to the match I only have the highlights to watch..A dull match but a win and maybe now we can move on from this Wembley curse,every one looked off there game but at last Poch changed things up and we score,3 more points in the bag and with our rivals dropping points a good weekend but best of all the Hornets flushed the scum down the pan,now that IS a good weekend..COYS..

 

It's not even slightly relevant to Bazza's article, but I feel I've got to comment on this Spanish newspaper article about Spurs being 'hated' because of its supposed Jewish connections. For the record, the club's founders back in 1882 were NOT Jewish, and it wasn't until Irving Scholar's disastrous arrival in 1984 that Spurs passed into the hands of a succession of Jewish owners, none of whom have (yet) made a success of the job - three cups in thirty-three years tell their own story! I know a few Jewish Spurs supporters, but the vast majority are not, and that brings me to my point - Spurs fans are white English, black English, Irish, Welsh, Korean, Danish, Jewish or whatever, and this perverse cult of 'yiddery' which some of the real hardcore fans (which is short for 'fanatics', remember) make such a big deal out of, is in reality divisive and counter-productive - if a group of Man City fans labelled themselves as ISIS because their club now belongs to Arabs, would anyone think it was a good idea? I doubt it.

 

Great performance and result last night in Madrid , our best European performance under Poch ... Hopefully we,re learning how to perform against these top sides , we can't approach every game the same way ... We're not home and hosed just yet tho , we've got Madrid at Wembley next , then Dortmund away so it's conceivable we,re still relying on Madrid doing us a favor in the last game if things go against us in the other games ... Look at this stage we should be confident of getting the job done ourselves but these are quality sides and you wouldn't have to play poorly to loose against them ...

Onto the weekend , Liverpool at Wembley , another test because in fairness we haven't played particularly well against these ****s since Klopp took over ... We have to be wary of pushing up too high against them because that's playing into their hands ... We can't afford to give them acres of space in behind us ... That would be playing straight into their hands ... There's only 2 or 3 teams in the Premier Lg I'd be worried about in this kind of situation and Liverpool are deff one of them ... Keep it tight , drop off a bit further then we usually do and I think we'll have a better chance this way ... They'll deff give us a chance or two with their poor defending ... Personally I don't care if it looks uglyish , it's only one game and if we can navigate it with 3 points with our injuries starting to ease it really should be onwards and upwards confidence wise and playing in Wembley wise .. We can dress it up anyway we like , the evidence so far suggests we just haven't played to our level at that hole for whatever reason ... Strange to fathom when we don't seem to have a problem playing anywhere else ... C.O.Y.S .....

 

After the results last night we can now afford to lose 2 games and still go forward from the group so I am not concerned, however the next run of PL matches' will test us at the highest level, not untill the end of November will things ease up and should we pass the test then there is the strong chance of us being in the mix for a shot at the top and if being "Ugly"get's us 3 points then go for it.COYS.

 

Have to say , Sissoko can actually play a bit of football , I've never been a fan but im always open to having my mind changed ... Hopefully he keeps it up now , because in fairness to him he's doing a lot better this season ... C.O.Y.S ...

 

Last season, having missed the preseason affected him. One major knock against him, even in his time at Newcastle, sometimes he'd stop playing/trying. He's not a winger, he won't score goals. But with Poch's coaching, we are starting to see what he can do. He's a powerful runner, he's like Dembele in that sense; except Dembele has lots of grace & swag to go with it. I'll have to say, this season, he has put in the effort....making the runs offensively, tracking back on the defensive end. I give Poch, lots of credit for his coaching and challenging him.

 

This season will be long and hard so I will wait and see if he gives up and starts to be lazy again,there must be a good player in there some where I just hope Poch and his team can continue to improve him.COYS..