The question: Is Mauricio Pochettino a world-class manager?
In a strange twist, Arsenal fan and talkSPORT presenter Laura Woods argues in favour, and former Tottenham striker Darren Bent argues against that statement. Watch the video below and decide for yourself who is right.
Laura Woods: “Do you think Pochettino is a world class manager?”
— The Spurs Web ⚪️ (@thespursweb) April 22, 2020
Darren Bent: “No, he’s a very good manager but not world class.”
Who’s right in this debate? ⬇️pic.twitter.com/hKfjYs3vXb
In my opinion, neither of them is right.
Bent is closer, in the sense that Poch is not world-class, but his reasoning doesn’t stand up. There are so many variables to management in terms of resources that winning trophies cannot be a final measure of ability.
Is Manuel Pellegrini a superior manager to Pochettino because he won the Premier League with Manchester City? Clearly not. I am absolutely positive that Pochettino would have done a better job than his compatriot did recently at West Ham United, where the resources are more of an equaliser.
Bent’s comparison to Jurgen Klopp is also unfair because Poch had put his “imprint” on Spurs in the same way that Klopp has with Liverpool. He was exactly where the German was at the end of the 2017-18 season with Spurs a year prior, before the disparity in transfer budgets became a difference-maker, as Woods articulately notes. It is impossible to know what Pochettino might have achieved with Spurs with the same backing at the same point of the club’s trajectory, and too painful to think about.
Not winning trophies and not being Jurgen Klopp is not why Poch isn’t world-class. He isn’t world-class because he makes too many bad decisions, simply. Whether it be team selection, tactics, needless rotation of players and formation, he doesn’t get the big calls right when they matter most.
Klopp turned around a stagnant Dortmund team in one season and won two Bundesliga titles. He earned the right to manage a big club but he needed time and money to do what he did at Liverpool. He now gets the Real, Barca or Bayern job easily, if he wants them. Poch is not quite there yet. He just needs to make a good decision with his next job. I wouldn’t put Pellegrini down as being world class though, he definitely earned the right to move up the pecking order with what he did with Villarreal and Malaga. Was unlucky at Real (if you can be unlucky there) and couldn’t lose at City. I do think you need to win the Ch Lg to be classed as one of the best. Does Poch deserve the same opportunities, too right. I want him to be given money, win everything and make Levy look like a prize plum.
A thinking man’s footballer. Mastermind proved that! I bet he thought he was going to be asked James Bond’s secret service number. Muppet.
Poch is clearly a world class coach. He developed half the england squads debutants at saints and spurs. He changed our philosophy and mindset. He got us into the champions league and against all odds to the final. On zero net spend with a crocked striker and a two bob squad… Poch is no doubt a world class coach.. But manager? No. Silly decisions and statements were his downfull. I’m not sure any world class manager could thrive under Levy.. As James says below when Poch goes to a club and gets backed then I’m sure he will prove himself. The only world class we have is Kane and son and (dele and lloris on their good days). If poch ends up at a club like madrid with many world class players then we will see. If newcastle will have money to burn I hope he ends up there as my gran is a toon.
When he gets world class funding we will see.
It’ll be more insightful than those of her son and husband can guarantee that
😂
Maybe we should ask Sandra Redknapp for her opinion?
The insightful thoughts of Darren Bent again to start the day,marvelous.