Tottenham Coach Pochettino Must Learn How To Win Trophies

For all the talk about Tottenham boss, Mauricio Pochettino, the former Argentina defender turned manager has not led a team to any trophy in his managerial career.

The 46-year-old has come close with Spurs in the last few years, but his teams have always come short when it matters most, suffering a mental block when they are so close to the finish line.

Against Manchester United in the FA Cup semifinals at Wembley last weekend, the North Londoners familiar failings came to bare once more and this time, their manager can’t be excused.

Free bets Nigeria have slashed odds on him staying at the club beyond this season.

They had taken the lead through Dele Alli but errors at the back cost them a vital win.

Pochettino has earned praise for his work with Spurs, turning them from a Top 6 side to a regular Champions League team as well as leading them to consecutive title challenges in 2015/16 and 2016/17, through they lost out eventually to Leicester and Chelsea respectively.

Against Jose Mourinho and Manchester United, Soccer predictions came through as Pochettino showed tactical naivety that should not be seen at the top level.

The pair of Son and Dembele were having terrible games, while the service to Harry Kane was virtually non-existent.

While Jose constantly barked orders at his team from the touchline, Pochettino appeared aloof, transmitting none of the positive energy needed in a game of such magnitude.

Back in 2015/2016, Spurs’ title challenge faded towards the end of the campaign as they had a team of inexperienced players and manager to see them over the finish line.

Last season, they garnered 86 points enroute finishing as runners-up, but ultimately, it was still not enough as Chelsea still won with some games to spare.

Among the managers of the top clubs in England, Pochettino is the only man without a trophy to his name.

The likes of Klopp, Mourinho, Guardiola, Conte and Wenger have all earned massive reputations for leading teams to winning silverware, meaning that they are still a cut above the suave-looking Pochettino.

This season’s FA Cup loss mirrors that of last term, where they froze on the biggest stage, as they lost the semifinals to league champions, Chelsea.

This season, Spurs have failed to kick on and will end trophyless yet again for the 10th consecutive year.

While he is widely regarded as one of the most tactical minds in the game, the fact that his trophy cabinet is bare means that the biggest clubs will be wary of offering him jobs.

He doesn’t have that extra mental strength and game management to move his team past any obstacles in front of them.

Perhaps he could take a cue from former Liverpool gaffer, Brendan Rodgers who was also derided for his lack of trophies while in charge of the Reds.

He has gone to Celtic in the Scottish Premier League, and is on course for another domestic Treble after their first year heroics under his tutelage.

Rodgers has now won trophies, and can take his experience to bigger clubs and hope to replicate those feats at a bigger club, a lesson Pochettino can learn and then hope to conquer the Premier League.

Igho Kingsley

Photo Credit : tottenhamhotspur.com