'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Manchester United legend Gary Neville in an article for the Telegraph has named his favourite Premier League coach around whom he would want to model himself as an aspiring coach. It is not Jose Mourinho or Arsene Wenger, it is Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino!
Neville, who now works as a coach with the English national team and as a TV pundit, lavished praise on the Spurs manager and expressed his delight and awe at the way Pochettino running things at the North London club.
With Tottenham facing London-rivals Chelsea on Sunday, Neville says that he is a huge fan of the transformation brought about by the Argentine boss at his club and how he is breeding young English talent at Tottenham like he did at Southampton.
Pochettino reared and brought to light some great English talent while at Southampton, with names such as Adam Lallana, Jay Rodriguez, Nathaniel Clyne, Luke Shaw and James Ward-Prowse all forming the core of a Southampton team that produced some amazing results in the Premier League.
The same has been carried out by him at his new club Tottenham, as Neville states the example of Delle Alli, who was brought to Tottenham from a League One side and is now a key fixture in the Tottenham starting lineup.
He recently made his debut in a friendly against France, where he scored a beautiful goal from long range and looked completely at ease against some of the best players in Europe. Neville also quoted the example of Eric Dier, who has been transformed from a centre-back to a complete defensive midfielder. Dier was signed from Sporting Lisbon by Tottenham and has quickly become an important figure in his team.
The former United captain wrote that the English players who have played under Pochettino are now much more confident and active in the national team process. And Pochettino’s successes are not just limited to English players.
At Spurs, he has brought the best out of players such as Erik Lamela and Jan Vertronghen, who weren’t performing at their potential under previous managers. The team is much fitter than before under Pochettino and look like a well-rounded team who can take on any challenge.
Leaving the players aside, Pochettino has also had considerable success in the club’s Board Room and with its executives. He has revamped the club’s recruitment system and brought in a member of his staff who was with him at Southampton.
Former technical director Franco Baldini, who left the club in September this year, had signed many players at the club who didn’t turn out as well as expected such as Soldado, Clint Dempsey and Etienne Capoue, and had a reputation of interfering too much during Andre Villas-Boas’ time at the club.
Pochettino won the power battle with him and did not cede to his wishes, and thanks to his great work, he has also been able to keep the much-maligned Daniel Levy away from the limelight.
Tottenham have been playing some great football and are currently fifth in the League table. They face Chelsea next and the game is sure to be a cracking encounter!
