Learning the value of trust, with Mauricio Pochettino

Tottenham’s record in big games under Mauricio Pochettino leaves much to be desired, but fans of the club need to trust the process.

Mauricio Pochettino will go down as one of the best managers in Tottenham’s history, and yet for all the positivity surrounding his tenure, it’s surprisingly difficult to pick out a defining moment. There have been plenty of highlights, particularly in their formerly one-sided rivalry with Arsenal, but as far as big games go, Pochettino might be better remembered for, to use only one, particularly confusing example, playing Heung-min Son as a left wing-back in a 4-2 loss against Antonio Conte’s Chelsea.

In 43 matches against the Premier League’s elite since Pochettino arrived at the club, Spurs have won 14, drawn 12 and lost 17 times. However successful his reign has been overall, the impact of this record is seismic. Beating your closest rivals gives supporters hope, particularly for a club in Tottenham’s situation, clearly one of the best teams in the league, but not yet quite good enough to challenge for the title. In the absence of these wins, it’s easy to see why the narrative surrounding Tottenham, despite consistent improvement in their league position, is somewhat dour.

The problem is further highlighted by the regular comparisons between Pochettino and Jurgen Klopp, two managers that found themselves in similar positions upon arriving in England. In the three seasons Pochettino and Klopp have both been Premier League managers, Spurs have finished above Liverpool three times, and yet Klopp seems to enjoy a far more flattering portrayal of his work. That may be down to the relative success he’s enjoyed in cup competitions, though he’s yet to win a trophy. Or maybe it’s his more exuberant personality. Above all, it seems to come down to his superior record in big games. Across 32 matches against other big six sides since Klopp’s appointment, Liverpool have won 11, drawn 16 and lost only five times.

One popular explanation for this is that Klopp’s pressing style is uniquely suited to playing possession-dominant teams. But while that might explain why Klopp’s record in big games is good, it doesn’t explain why Pochettino’s is bad. After all, the fast-paced pressing style Klopp has become synonymous with is something Pochettino has often been praised for as well. In fact, Pochettino first garnered mainstream attention as a manager after leading Espanyol to victory over Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona. Guardiola spoke highly of Pochettino’s time at Espanyol, and after that specific loss said, “There are teams that wait for you and teams that look for you. Espanyol look for you.”

Pochettino has changed since his time at Espanyol, however, and even since his first couple of seasons at Spurs. In particular, he has looked to turn his side from a team that are happy to sacrifice the ball to one that intends to dominate it. If Tottenham are going to win, they’re going to do so in a way that actively helps them become the team they eventually want to be. If Pochettino had been more willing to resort to Mourinho-ism, a tailored game plan specifically designed to negate the strengths of his opponents, it might have earned him a few more wins against the big sides. It might have changed the media narrative for a week or two. But it wouldn’t help make the players any better at enacting the style of play he thinks they need to become champions. In other words, Pochettino wants to beat Manchester City in the same way he beats Brighton or Fulham or Wolves. The only way to do that is to ensure that his proactive approach is tried, tested and successful against the very best.

Some might argue this approach is too idealistic. They’d have a point. In order for Pochettino’s approach to work, he needs his players to stick around for a long time, a rare luxury in today’s game, especially for a club of Tottenham’s financial means. As Spurs fans know all too well, no matter how much a player appears to like the club, they will opt to leave if there’s more money or a greater chance of success (or both) to be found elsewhere. This, then, is the problem: The only way Pochettino can get Tottenham where they want to go is through exactly the sort of player development he may not have the time to carry out. As usual, money is at the root of the problem.

Pochettino is in the same class of manager as the likes of Guardiola and Klopp, but his spending power is vastly inferior. And so where Guardiola and Klopp can buy the specific players they feel they’re lacking — Aymeric Laporte, Virgil van Dijk, Leroy Sane, Naby Keita, etc. — Pochettino is forced to gamble on less proven quantities, the likes of Davinson Sanchez and Juan Foyth. Last summer, he wasn’t able to add to his squad at all.

It’s like asking someone to build a house. Guardiola and Klopp can go to Home Depot and gather the exact tools they need to build their ornately crafted mansions. Pochettino’s vision is just as grand, but he’s left to realize it with his cousin’s old tool bag. Some of the tools are missing, some are old and falling apart and some, while useful, have to be fundamentally changed in order to serve any purpose. Pochettino is going to need a lot longer to be able to build his house, and that has little to do with his ability as an architect.

This all leaves an adoring but increasingly-irritated Tottenham fanbase in an awkward position. There is a feeling Spurs have the talent and managerial nous to overcome the rest of the big six on a regular basis, but that they’re failing because of the same man who instilled in them that feeling in the first place. If they trust the process, they could be witness to one of the most remarkable achievements in recent history. As they continue teetering on the brink of Premier League contention, however, that trust will become harder and harder to maintain.