It’s easy to see why Mauricio Pochettino’s work receives admiring glances from other clubs.

The Argentine manager transformed Southampton into an accomplished Premier League team and now he’s pushing his Tottenham Hotspur side firmly into the Champions League positions. Actually you could even call them title challengers this season.

Pochettino impresses with his quiet but determined demeanour. He’s a boss who gets the best out of his players and anyone not invested in his ideology can find a new employer. His sides also play with creativity and a fluidity that’s easy on the eye. He’s also got a good defensive backbone that hurt when they concede. Having a captain and goalkeeper like Hugo Lloris helps as he’s a standout Premier League performer.

So with possibility that both Manchester United and Chelsea are on the lookout for a new boss this summer, you can see why Pochettino’s name has cropped up with links to those sides.

But for me the forty-three year old would be best served staying with Spurs.

Dare I say that he has a job at White Hart Lane that is more attractive to him than any other in the league.

Going to Old Trafford could mean a huge squad redevelopment, he’s just managed to get his pool right at Tottenham. At Chelsea he could be walking into a toxic dressing room, he’s finally rid himself of the dead apples at Spurs.

I think that the Tottenham project is well on course to move into its next phase.

In Harry Kane they have a striker who knows where the goal is and can find the net regularly. Pochettino has given the hitman the needed confidence to shine.

Although I think they need another forward capable of getting on the scoresheet. Clinton N’Jie is still finding his feet in the Premier League and his latest injury has certainly hampered things.

The signing of Dele Alli has been inspired. I’m sure a lot of teams will have scouted the young midfielder but didn’t act quickly enough. Tottenham did and Pochettino flung him in at the deep end and the nineteen year old has reacted with some splendid performances. His energy has often galvanised teammates and he has merited his recent international recognition.

One huge plus for the Tottenham board has been Erik Lamela’s form this term. The £30m man has often been criticised since his move from Roma in 2013. But Pochettino has persevered with his countryman and has been rewarded with Lamela putting in some eye catching performances. Yes he’s still not the world beater Tottenham had initially hoped for but he’s now no longer perceived as a dud. The potential is there for him to improve.

The mean defence and holding midfielders give Tottenham a strength that most others in the league are crying out for. Mauricio is a big advocate of if it’s not broken then don’t fix it.

The fact is that Tottenham’s squad play as a strong, well organised unit who seem to understand exactly what their manager wants from them.

They need to stop drawing so many games if they want to win the league title. Their 4-1 triumph over Manchester City back in September showed us that they are more than capable in the bigger games.

The Argentine feels his side are now confident to achieve great things this season:

“You can see in their eyes, the feeling, the energy, that they believe,”

“Belief is the most important word. If we believe, anything can happen.”

I’d love for Pochettino to see that this could just be the start for him and Tottenham Hotspur. A trophy in May would be fantastic for him and his players whether that be the Premier League, the FA Cup or the Europa League. Even a top four finish would be a signal that everything is progressing well with the ‘Lilywhites’ and there is no need to move on.

Posted on February 11th, 2016 by scott
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