Mauricio Pochettino’s work at Spurs is “unquestionable,” according to Ange Postecoglou, as the Argentine gets ready to take charge of Chelsea in North London.
Pochettino managed Tottenham for more than five years, during which time the team had a historic run to the Champions League final in 2019. Despite his departure later that year, the North London club has not been able to achieve stability, as their current permanent manager, Postecoglou, is their fourth appointment in that period.
At least Spurs have been playing exceptionally well; after ten games, they lead the Premier League table after an undefeated start to the campaign. Even though Pochettino’s Chelsea have struggled offensively and are currently languishing in the bottom half of the table, Postecoglou continues to speak highly of his opposite number.
Postecoglou remarked, “Look, there is no denying that he had a phenomenal impact on this football club.” “It is our ultimate desire and ambition as role players to have an impression wherever we go in our careers, and he has unquestionably had an influence on this football club during his time here.
“His work is undeniable because he nearly led the team to the Champions League’s pinnacle and got close to the league. Everyone I talk to in this area—there are still people who worked with him—says nothing but good things about him as a manager and a person.”
But even with that regard, the former Celtic manager made it plain that Monday night’s ninety minutes would see old memories set aside. “We want to win, so I doubt anyone at this football club, supporters, or people associated will treat Mauricio with anything less than respect, but that doesn’t mean he will get a guard of honor on Monday night,” he said.
“His term and impact here are indisputable and will endure throughout time, but I don’t think he would expect that. People will only remember Mauricio with respect and liking when they reflect on his tenure as the Spurs manager.
Harry Kane was largely responsible for many of Spurs’ greatest moments under Pochettino, but the team has moved on from the England captain after his summer transfer to Bayern Munich. Kane is Bayern’s highest scorer this season, with 14 goals in 13 games. He led the team in scoring in each of Pochettino’s five full seasons in charge of the team, as well as the four that followed.
Spurs have been less affected than some had thought by losing Kane’s goals. Their 22 league goals at this stage in the season are precisely the same as they were the previous one, with Son Heung-min netting eight of those goals after moving into a more central role.
But in Chelsea’s case, things are not the same. After a busy summer of transfers, the Blues finished 12th the previous season and are currently 11th going into this weekend’s games. Despite this, Postecoglou has faith in Pochettino to turn things around.
“While Mauricio and I are dealing with very different issues, we are ultimately attempting to accomplish the same goal, which is to assemble a team that we think has the potential to succeed,” he continued. “Mauricio has a proven track record, so I have no doubts about his ability to steer Chelsea in the right direction.”
