Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino says Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is a 'special person' and is the kind of person who comes only once in a millennium. The two managers go head to head in the Premier League tonight with their teams both vying the title.
Wenger will lead his team out to his 48th North London derby and has – in his 19-year-tenure with the Gunners – overseen the hiring and firing of 11 different managers at Tottenham. Pochettino, however, looks to be the only one who could be capable of finishing higher than the Frenchman in the Premier League.
But Pochettino says Wenger must be placed in a bracket exclusive to the top coaches the Premier League has ever had.
"It is about the special capacity that Alex Ferguson had and now Arsene Wenger," he said. "I don't know if the capacities of the managers has changed or football has changed, it's difficult to say.
"Maybe they are special people. Maybe Ferguson and Wenger are special people who are capable of keeping their job for so long. Maybe we aren't too special.
"It's like Diego Maradona or Lionel Messi. It's difficult for some players to appear every season like them, no?
"Maybe when we think of special people like Ferguson or Wenger, maybe it's not the clubs who are special, maybe the managers are special to keep their jobs."
Pochettino's team lost in midweek against West Ham – so did Arsenal against Swansea – but are yet to lose successive matches this season and the Argentine believes his team has what it takes to beat a strong Arsenal side looking to get back to winning ways.
"We hope for the same, the same response," Pochettino said. "The players are okay. They are sad and disappointed for the last result but they know the competition doesn't stop.
"We need to be ready to compete again. We expect another tough game against Arsenal and we need full energy to win the game."
