Just moments before I sat down to write a somewhat satirical blog about how the international break really isn’t as bad as we people it is, the unimaginable for every Tottenham Hotspur fan happened. I’ve steered away from simply writing about my favorite team or recent results or random transfers - I’ve instead attacked blogging from a topical standpoint of covering interesting angles of the sport rather than just providing weekly updates on the Premier League. However, I’m going to speak as a fan on this one. Our beloved Mauricio Pochettino has been sacked by Daniel Levy and Tottenham’s controversial owners.
Let this sink in. 6 months ago at this very second, he was less than two weeks away from gearing up to manage the first-ever Spurs side to play in a Champions League Final. I’m going to do my best to set aside the emotions that come with this breakup and ponder on his demise, his legacy, his future, and the future of Tottenham Hotspur.
His Demise - 2019
The turn of the year looked great - Spurs had escaped a group with Barcelona and Inter Milan and readied for a clash against Dortmund in the Champions League Round of 16. They looked head and shoulders above everyone else in England except Liverpool and Manchester City. The Borussia Dortmund game could mark Poch’s peak at Spurs - we thrashed them 3-0 in our final Champions League game at Wembley Stadium (our home away from home as Poch successfully managed us while we were without a true home stadium), with our manager looking like a tactical genius playing Jan Vertongen as a left-back, who’d go on to score a goal and assist in what was the best game of his career.
We went on an international break after this game and it COMPLETELY killed our momentum, thus beginning the worst 10-month stretch of Pochettino’s managerial career. We started losing to teams we had no business losing to and didn’t look good in the process. We brought our A-game against Manchester City and baaaaaaarely made it to the semi-finals against an Ajax side that was on fire but in reality far less talented than us. Everyone remembers our thrilling comeback against Ajax to make the final, but few fans outside of Tottenham will remember just scraping by to claim 4th place in the Premier League and squeaking into this season’s Champions League.
Losing the final didn’t help emotions but gave us all something to be proud of, and Poch (deservedly so) was praised more than anyone else for our magical run. Ideally, with new players coming in, you would’ve thought the momentum would’ve carried into this season. However, it didn’t, and our results have shown. We’ve looked shambolic with players openly expressing their interest in leaving the club and a clear lack of cohesion on the field. Combine that with being 14th in the league table, and that’s enough for him to earn the sack (In the eyes of our ownership).
Poch’s Future
I predict Mauricio will manage one of these four clubs next: Bayern Munich, P$G, Manchester United, or Real Madrid. Considering his previous job before Spurs was with Southampton, it’s clear he’s established himself as one of the best managers in the world. He took an above-average Tottenham team and turned them into one of the world’s best giving him a resume that compares to none. He was able to do so much with very little money relative to our competition, and he deserves the opportunity to manage a team that backs him and provides the budget he needs to purchase the players he wants.
Tottenham’s Future
I can’t believe this is actually happening, but Jose Mourinho is now our manager, and somehow, we’re going to have to get behind this. The man who will be more remembered for his press conferences with Manchester United than performances is going to own the reigns at Tottenham Hotspur. While a great manager, we’ve never had a boss who’s been “bigger than the club”. It’s an experiment - we’re only 3 points behind 5th place and in the driver’s seat to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League, so there is hope for our near future. We still have a talented group of players, the question that remains to be seen is whether or not Jose will be able to get more out of them than Poch did in 2019. Thankfully, Poch leaves in a much better spot than when he came to us.
Did Spurs Make the Right Decision?
This one is difficult to answer without seeing out the aftermath, but I do believe they made the right decision (despite the timing being very strange). In a perfect world, we would fire our ownership who deserves the bulk of the blame for our abysmal 2019 form. However, we were headed nowhere fast, and it was uncertain whether or not Poch could weather the storm. There is a group of players that are capable of playing at much higher levels than we have been, and unfortunately, it’s the manager’s job to get the best out of the players. While there are multiple players that need to move on from Spurs, the simplest change to make is a new manager, and we reached a point where a new spark felt necessary. It’s virtually the same exact team that made it all the way to the Champions League Final just months ago - a new manager has the opportunity to rekindle the desire that helped them reach that point.
His Legacy at Tottenham
Personally, Pochettino has been my favorite coach in all my years of sports fandom. I’ve been lucky enough to cheer for teams that employ all-time greats like Bob Stoops and Scotty Bowman, but none compare to Poch for me. This man bled Tottenham blue and took us to unimaginable heights. We spent less money than the likes of West Ham and Everton but were competing with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, and Liverpool. While we may not have won any trophies under him, he put Tottenham on the global map. He helped turn Harry Kane into the world’s best striker while dozens of other players overachieved with him at the helm. I will tell my kids stories of all the incredible moments he brought this club and myself. From Eric Dier scoring a last-minute goal in his managerial debut to watching him break down in tears when Lucas Moura sent us to the Champions League Final, thank you dearly Poch. You will forever be my favorite manager and the sideline will never look the same without you there. After all, he’s magic you know.
Author: Living in Southern California, Robert Sweeney has been a fan of soccer since he played as a young child. Since then, he’s become a diehard Tottenham and US National Team fan. Rob enjoys writing about the impact soccer has had on his life in hopes that it betters others as well. Twitter: @robsweeney11