An interesting piece in The Athletic (£) today about the whole Toby Alderweireld situation. Devout Pochettino fans may wish to look away now. In a nutshell, Toby and our former gaffer fell out at some point back in 2017/2018, when a contract extension couldn’t be hammered out. And things were never repaired.
It is said that Toby wanted “market rate” wages. The response from Pochettino?
Eccleshare says: “Pochettino took the Belgian’s perceived stubbornness as a personal slight and was extremely upset at the situation.”
The relationship then continued to deteriorate.
So, this would confirm the suspicion that this tiff was not for footballing reasons.
As if by magic, once Mourinho was confirmed, it took Toby just a few weeks to break an impasse that had lingered on for over a year.
So did the breakdown exists solely between Toby and Mauricio, or was Levy also frustrated with the player? We are told not. Eccleshare adds:
“Thankfully for all parties involved, that was not the case — and chairman Daniel Levy and Alderweireld’s representatives did not have a major falling out. So a deal was pretty straightforward to resurrect once it became clear under Mourinho that it suited all parties.”
Worse yet, it would appear from this account, that Pochettino was not quite the people person as some made out.
The new deal signed with Tottenham is said to be worth about £100,000 a week, approximately half the figure that was being bandied about when Toby was being ill thought of by Pochettino (and some fans) for refusing to sign.
Opinion After watching both parties for the last five years or so, I have no hesitation in believing every ounce of this report.
Pochettino did well at Tottenham, but he is a long way from being classed as a top coach, he simply doesn’t have robust enough credentials.
Nothing personal, but until he proves himself with tangible results with perhaps a midrange side, then his ability and indeed him character remain in doubt.
Oh, and welcome home Toby.
Aye maureens never lasted four years at any club.. This is what worries me… Instant success followed by crash and burn… Each job hes won less and less as times gone on…. I am fully behind the man because hes our gaffer now, but when results go south what happens then? Do we get the poisonous snake spitting at everyone?
I think it is 150k pw
He achieved tangible results with two mid range sides.. Southampton and spurs…… Everyone raves about peps and maureens resume.. But these two have spent more than a billion each, more than any managers ever.. They have both took over teams that already boasted the likes of messi, ronaldo, eto, Lewendoski, modric, ibra etc… Well is it really any suprise that they have won the most?.. Poch had espanyol, southampton and spurs to work with..
Hes too respectful, professional and polite. Hes not stupid either.
Yeah he had an excellent game yesterday.
Also reading that his contract is in the £150k pw realm, so there’s a lot of misinformation out there.
Indeed unfortunately either poch is too nice to speak up or has been silenced by either money or some other twisted payback clause
There appears to be a rather noxious attempt to discredit Poch. I am sure that some of the things he did were wrong but what happened to “Back the manager”? He achieved a lot in his five and a half years and he deserves more credit for overachieving than not winning anything. Maureen’s record is clearly far superior but he won’t last long at Spurs. He generally lose the dressing room after a couple of years and he and Levy are not a marriage made in heaven.
I think what we’re seeing here is the been there, seen it, done it, designed the t-shirt effect Mourhino is having, will have, on Spurs and bit by bit more of the fact that Poch was still green as a manager and as a bloke.
Watching the City-Leicester game,Jonny Evans is still a quality CB,showing it against the City attackers.
Just heard that Martin Peters has Died. Age 76 Years . RIP.
Oh Dear Mr Botch !!!!!!!! I would like to see Toby made Captain.
Plenty of blame to share, the system at Spurs was and is dysfunctional. Players not properly rewarded, players exhausted because the “system” won’t purchase a big enough squad to keep players fresh.