Pochettino playing out of position

Ben Pearce’s article on the Tottenham & Wood Green Journal is doing the rounds on the social media sites and is causing a bit of a stir.

Whether Pochettino’s comments, in the article, have been taken out of context remains to be seen, but the general consensus is that he sees himself as the ‘head coach’ of Spurs and not the ‘manager’, and that he feels there is a stark difference between the two.

Right said Poch

So what did Pochettino say in his press conference? Here are his words: “They [the players] don’t have a manager, they have a head coach. I am a head coach.

“I think it’s very different. If you are the manager, you decide many things about the club. But if you are a head coach, your responsibility is to play better and try to improve the players and to get positive results.

“The head coach is not the same as the manager. If not, why am I not [called] the manager? I am the head coach. In Southampton, I was a manager. My responsibility was not only to coach the team. Here I am a head coach - a head coach is head of your department. My department is to train the team.”

Reading between the lines

It’s fair to say that Pochettino has a valid point at the basis of this discussion, and it adds to the every-growing debate as to what is the difference between head coach and manager as a technicality.

The imminent arrival of Paul Mitchell could serve as the spark for these comments, as Pochettino will see a restructuring of recruiting players at the club, allowing him to spend more time on the training ground. But the nature of these comments seems to go deeper.

Board are to blame

Pochettino links the role of head coach with one that solely trains and improves players, but that at Southampton he was indeed the manager.

Since Spurs recruited the Argentine on the basis of the work his did as ‘manager’ of Southampton, it’s odd that he perceives himself as being head coach at a club where he is struggling, in comparison to him being a manager of a club where his work was lauded.

The comments could be as highlighting the control or lack of, that Poch has now at Spurs, in comparison to what he had at St. Mary’s. Levy had told the THST on Thursday that the manager has the final say on players brought in, but here Poch is saying that the only decisions he makes are on the training ground.

You live and die by your words

As our manager is stating his only job is coach the players, then you have to openly admit that he is not doing a very good job of it.

As Poch is explicitly saying his only duty is to train and improve the players, then he is also accepting responsibility for our poor performances as many players we’d hope to have improved under his regime have actually worsened.

When pushed on how Spurs can improve, our 'head coach' added: “What needs to improve in the structure? Maybe this question is not for me. My idea is always to try to improve. Nothing is perfect – always we need to improve.”

This honesty appears very sinister, as the lack of improvement at Spurs in these last five months would be enough to crank up the pressure on a manager. Is this pure honesty coming from Poch, or is this him getting the excuses at the ready, in case he is shown the door?

 

Oh please!!! Tell me one person who has gotten worse under Poch? He's improved Chadli, Lamela, and even Rose and Naughton to an extent

 

Get that Levy out and all our problems will disappear. Typical nosy know it all who keeps ruining the club because he thinks he is a 'Manager'. And Adi you're right we have only improved since Pottechino has arrived. Does the guy who wrote this not remember the thrashings we took last season? Give Mauricio Pottechino a couple of seasons to get a good team going.

 

Getting rid of Levy will solve nothing.
Some players have seemed to get worse under Potch, such as Dier, Chiriches etc
What about the thrashings we have had at home, to Liverpool & WestHam
Potch doesnt seem to know his best team yet and its nearly December
Yes he needs time but must start delivering soon!

 

I have not seen any improvement with Poncho,in fact we are generally playing worse are performance is worse than ever,not for me thanks bring back Sherwood.

 

Give him time and we will get better. Kanye, saldaldo, Erik son, and lamela are starting to link well.
I think fazo will be great, supprissed stamboli not given games though as we need to be more solid in front of back 4. If he gets us not conceding stupid goals we can go on a decent run.
COYs

 

Surely the coach/manager/boss or whatever you call the person responsible for the team has to tell whoever is responsible for getting players, the positions where he thinks the team needs strengthening and it is then down to that person to give him the names of players who he thinks they can get and go from
So if Poch thinks he needs a centre forward, Baldini should give him a list of who he thinks is available and Poch states his preference and it goes from there.
Surely that's the way it should work if you have a Director of Finance.
Baldini should not be picking players and just presenting them to the club. His track record is abysmal so far and there is no guarantee that Poch rates that player, thinks he fits his style or can get the best out of him.
Perhaps that's where the club has been going wrong in the transfer market.
Levy should stay well out of it. It's his job is to run the financial side of the club and provide the money. After all, what is his football, coaching background?
To this end, Poch must have at the very least, a couple of transfer windows to bring in players who fit his style.
Then judge him.

 

I have read the article and it makes an interesting read. I think the reason that poch did not speak English when at saints is quite clear to see. He isn't exactly fluent and I am not sure he is able to communicate as effectively as he might like with the media and perhaps even the players.

I don't thnk we can really make any in depth analysis of Poch until the end of this season, when he has had the January window to perhaps bring in some more players who he feels will be suited to the sort of football he wants us to see.
When he came in, he said that we would see attacking, exciting football and we are yet to see that. He brought in a few in the summer but Fazio has spent more time being sent off than trying to impress, and Stambouli is not getting enough game time to be able to make any realy judgement on whether he is an asset to the the team or not.

We still need a striker who can be prolific to play alongside kane and at least one quality Centre back.

It is time that we weeded out some of the rubbish. Kaboul, Adebayor, naughton, possibly lamela, Soldado have all had enough chances to prove themselves and failed to do so. Paulinho is also not someone who is needed any more at the lane. It may be a case of a few out in January and then mass changes in the summer.

If you read this site regularly, you will be aware that I have said I don't expect Spurs to finish in the top four this season but we lie currently just two points away from that position.

Performances do need to improve, they have been worse this season than last and we have had the worst start to a season since the reign of Ramos (. The manager, not this sites expert )

As for poch' comments, it sounds like he may not be quite as comfortable with the role of head coach as that of manager.

 

When did we get thrashed by West Ham?

 

Bring back Sherwood?...I'll be the first one to give up after 45yrs supporting Spurs.

 

Of the last 13 players bought 10 of them mostly sit on the bench, whatever the recruitment process is it is clearly not working, whoever is signing this collective bunch of nobodies needs to be dropped from this position imediately and the system scrapped.
Zero net spend will not improve a football club, selling your best players will not improve a football club, giving the head coach cheaper 3rd rate alternatives will not improve a football club, ignoring glaring deficiencies within the first team will not improve a football club.......
Theres so much wrong with the set up and confusion to who is buying the players its no wonder were in such a mess, weve got more defenders in our squad than i can ever remember having yet 90% of them are useless and the same could be said about the midfield and were drastically short of any quality up top and really across the whole side.
Whoever is responsible needs outing, this number of channels to aim blame at is a brilliant ploy to cover up the total lack of actual investment and ambition in the side usually ending in the Head Coach/Manager taking the fall for the total ineptitude of the board.
Levy, Enic & Baldini OUT !!!!!!!!!

 

Poch is becoming frustrated with the players & results. The players are not seeing leadership and direction from Levy & Co, the whole club is in disarray. Levy will not have another "manager" because he doesn't trust anyone with his money, while Poch is at Whitewebbs Levy & Baldini are sitting in the office discussing who we can afford to buy. I say let the "manager" do his job and decide otherwise we can all forget about success cos it ain't gonna happen under this regime.

 

possibly Lamela??????? Are you serious??? it is the first time in many years of watching Spurs that I have only seen one world class player - ie Lloris. However - in Eriksen and Lamela we potentially have two more. They need to develop more and need to be played in the right positions ie Eriksen in the centre.

We need to give Poch time. I think he has made a big error in making Kaboul captain and Adebayor vice captain...please. He should swallow his pride and have Verts as captain and Lloris as vice captain. I think he is discovering that we are better with wide players and I expect to see Townsend and Lennon being given more playing time. This may finally result in Soldado scoring a goal or two.

The good news is that the premiership is **** in terms of quality this year...bar chelsea...... and we are only 3 points off 4th place, despite being utterly shocking in many games. We have seen the integration of 2 academy players in Mason and Kane and other players like Chadli have improved. if Poch can pick the right captain and get the system right a top 4 place IS achievable - that is a big IF though!!!

 

If anyone watched the hull game like me knows how much we need wingers. We only really started playing well when Lennon came on. Poch really only needs more time, and a chance to bring in his own players, not having Levy and Baldini calling all the shots.

 

I dont think Baldini will be calling the shots much longer......!!!