Pochettino has painted himself into a corner and we’re only 5 games in.
No credible options on the bench saw Harry Kane [10] belting about to little purpose for some 96 minutes, whereas it ‘only’ took a ready to rock Lamela 30 minutes to score a goal that had more than something of the ‘Hoddle’ about it.
What’s sad about our tactician’s brain, is that it appears only to get whirring after the event.
Pause and think about that.
Mauricio’s watching us play, scrutinising every ball, and yet doesn’t allow himself to consider change until disaster has already struck.
Think of horse race.
The man in the crowd is never anything more than a spectator. He can blaspheme at the top of his voice and throw his slips into the sky, but to no effect.
The man on the horse is trying to implement a plan based upon ever changing circumstances – or variables.
The trainer is only interested in analysing the race in order to better his yard’s chances of winning next time out, even if they win this race.
If Pochettino is the jockey then why isn’t he responding better to the conditions, the spaces, the opportunities?
If Pochettino is the trainer, then why does he repeat the same errors that cost him the last race?
After a flatline of activity in the summer transfer window, I believe that Pochettino has managed to emasculate himself to the status of the man in the crowd.
Liverpool had 10 shots on target from 17 attempts, opposed to our 3 shots on target from 10 attempts.
As per the blog yesterday, when you drill into the mechanics of the game and examine the take ons, ball recoveries, aerial duels, crosses, corners, dispossessions and even offsides, the numbers are all pretty much neck and neck.
Liverpool and Tottenham weren’t neck and neck.
So by a process of elimination it was either the players or the coach.
The answer to that conundrum by the way is, ‘yes it was’.
