In the Premier League, there are successful managers who have won the Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Premier League, La Liga, Champions League; indeed, a few hold more than one of these honours to their name.
Indeed, when one pits Antonio Conte, Jose Mourinho, Jurgen Klopp, Arsene Wenger and Pep Guardiola in the same league, there will be but a few distinctions that none of them possess.
But with his achievements of the present unnoticed due to his peers' achievements of the past, Mauricio Pochettino stands shoulder to shoulder with any big name coach in the Premier League.
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Don't let his nondescript CV featuring positions as Espanyol ladies assistant manager, Espanyol coach and Southampton manager fool you – the amazing work he is doing at Tottenham with his budget constraints and an army of young players is unparalleled in England. Indeed, there is a case to be made that Pochettino could be the next big thing in football management – with Manchester United reported to be keeping a close watch.
Style of football
Football, due to its very nature, gets more competitive than ever with each passing season. The margins are finer, room for errors lesser, the cost of defeats higher – no surprises, then, that most managers heralded as the symbol of the modern era boast an extraordinarily fit squad of players.
Klopp, Pochettino, Sampaoli are all managers that value the one extra yard that their team can run more than the opponent. After all, even the best players in the world need time on the ball to work their magic.
Pochettino has a squad of players that routinely outclass their opposition in terms of distance covered on the pitch – as recently as the 2-0 win over Chelsea, Tottenham simply mirrored what Chelsea did in terms of formation, and then did it with more intensity. With training sessions allegedly higher in intensity than matches and a rigorous preseason training regime, Pochettino ensures that even if his team lose, it would not be due to a lack of effort.
His team rarely lose, especially at home; they lost for the first time this season in the 13th game week at Chelsea, and currently boast the least number of losses in the league along with Liverpool (2) after 21 matches.
An impeccable defence
Two of the other managers in this league renowned for aggressive pressing and beautiful football are Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp – but while their teams routinely undo all the good offensive work by conceding cheap goals, Pochettino's team has conceded the fewest goals in the league. Yes, that is 1 less goal conceded than even Chelsea, who went 6 matches straight without conceding a goal from September to November.
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While having Lloris and Alderweireld – a contender for best goalkeeper in the league and arguably the best defender in the league, respectively – does help, Pochettino's teams have always been defensively solid. In his managerial debut for Espanyol, his team kept the legendary Barcelona side of the time from scoring; not a mean feat for the manager of a team in the relegation zone after just two training sessions.
His first choice back four while at Southampton – Clyne, Lovren, Fonte and Shaw – have all proven themselves at bigger clubs, with Fonte reportedly the latest in line to earn himself a big money move.
Integration of youth
The core of this Tottenham side is refreshingly young – with Harry Kane at 23, Dele Alli at 20 and Christian Eriksen at 24, among others. The Argentinian manager is the ideal person to lead a club like Tottenham, and indeed, Southampton before that. With the steady inflow of talent from the youth academy, there is no other manager who would be quite as prepared to risk his reputation to give them the opportunities they deserve.
Acquiring Dele Alli for £5 million speaks volumes about his ingenuity in the transfer market as well – Pochettino sure has an eye for a bargain. But the focus has definitely centred on keeping the core of the squad intact along with promoting youth – England is indebted to Pochettino for all the players he has contributed to the national team.
Dele Alli, Eric Dier, Harry Kane, Danny Rose – the core of the current England squad is pretty much the core of the Spurs Team.
The past, the present and the future
Pochettino has amassed a lot of admirers over a short managerial career that has lasted just 8 years. He has consistently punched above his weight at each of the clubs he has been in. The whole of England knew they had something special on their hands after his spell at Southampton – but when he went to Tottenham, he was deemed as just another manager in Tottenham's eternal managerial merry-go-round.
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How fruitful the affiliation has turned out to be, indeed! Away from all the media frenzy and celebrity limelight, here is a manager who is quietly establishing himself as the best of his business in England.
If Pochettino manages to keep this side together, away from the vultures of the big spenders, a true delight is in store for us over the next few seasons. But given the current state of affairs, Tottenham might find it even more difficult to keep hold of their brilliant manager than all their world class players.
