Patience Is a Virtue

Last night we sealed our third consecutive win in all competitions and almost guaranteed our place in the next round of the Europa League; adding to a Capital One Cup Quarter Final place and an 8th placed league position. Things aren’t perfect, but they weren’t going to be.

When Tottenham Hotspur confirmed the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino over the summer, the majority of fans called for patience and understanding – especially as he had been given a five-year contract. His side at Southampton had developed a nationwide reputation for exciting, attacking football and his stake as a young manager grew week by week.

It was evident that continued success with a small, talented squad would soon result in the top sides looking to obtain his services. However, his time on the South Coast wasn’t always smooth. His career began well but his side took at least six months to understand his system and only began to reflect this onto the pitch on a regular basis.

[linequote]Patience amongst owners, chairmen and fans alike is shorter than ever, with managers being given very little time to implement their idea[/linequote]

When he was brought to White Hart Lane, many fans said that they’d accept a final transition season but expect us to push on at the start of Pochettino’s second season. However four months into his reign, the pressure has already been cranked up onto the Argentine – with many demanding a top six finish and good cup runs as well as attacking football.

Unfortunately for football fans, you can’t always play well and you can’t always win. Even more unfortunately, football is now more short term and results based than ever before. Managers can get their teams playing as well as they like, but if results don’t go their way, managers lose their job. Patience amongst owners, chairmen and fans alike is shorter than ever, with managers being given very little time to implement their ideas. They can’t seem to win.

Andre Villas-Boas’ first season at Tottenham was extremely successful, with his side achieving a club record points tally and missing out on the Champions League by a mere point. The season itself was an extremely enjoyable one for fans; with Gareth Bale taking the majority of the plaudits.

However, since then, Spurs fans have seemed to become harder to please. Fans want the football achieved by the sides of Harry Redknapp – that did feature players such as Modric, Bale and Van der Vaart – but also results. Unfortunately during continuous transition, both cannot be achieved.

The easiest way to solve this problem is time. Give the manager time to get his ideas across, give the players time to learn the system – many playing under a 3rd manager in 16 months – and most importantly, give him the tools he needs to succeed.

Once Pochettino is handed the reins in the transfer market, he will be able to target the players he feels will best fit his unique system and introduce them to the style of play. Until then, however, why not allow Pochettino the patience he deserves?

[fullquote]Whilst the players adapt to their roles, a dip in performances is understandable and also expected[/fullquote]

We’ve seen small signs of players learning the system such as the emphatic win over QPR, Nacer Chadli’s goal at the Emirates and the win over Southampton in the Premier League. To be able to begin playing in the way Pochettino wants the players to play, he needs hours on the training pitch and on field performances. So far, our schedule has been busy and the players haven’t had many full weeks of training since the season began.

Another big issue for Pochettino is that a selection of the players in our squad don’t seem to be able to fit the system and some are still adapting to their new roles. From the seven signings made using the ‘Bale money’, Etienne Capoue, Nacer Chadli and Christian Eriksen are all adapting to new roles in the squad. Capoue is being – slowly – developed by Pochettino to fulfil the role performed by Frenchman Morgan Schneiderlin at Southampton.

This has been visible by the vast increase in the increased number and length of passes the former Toulouse man is attempting. However, this new role has meant that a dip in form is more than possible – whilst he adapts to the new responsibility placed upon his shoulders.

Chadli and Eriksen have – to some extent – swapped roles. Chadli now occupies a more central role more often than not, whilst Eriksen sits slightly deeper and drifts out wide more. Whilst the players adapt to their roles, a dip in performances is understandable and also expected.

A lot of praised was heaped on Pochettino after he developed several home-grown, English players – often young – to become technically superb footballers and demand transfer values upwards of £20million. The likes of Jay Rodriguez, Luke Shaw, Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert, Calum Chambers and Nathaniel Clyne improved significantly under the coaching of Pochettino and only two of those remain at the club, with the others moving to bigger clubs for huge fees.

In our squad and academy, there are several home-grown talents who need a helping hand and some guidance to progress from talents to established first teamers. The likes of Ryan Mason, Andros Townsend, Danny Rose, Kyle Naughton and Eric Dier seem to have already improved since Pochettino took over and are going from strength to strength, some nailing down first team spots.

His biggest success story so far, though, is likely the extremely talented Harry Kane. Ridiculed as a brainless footballer, the majority of Spurs fans had given up on the lifelong Spurs fan – until Tim Sherwood took over.

[linequote]Kane has pretty much established himself as a hero to Spurs fans, but also an idol to younger fans[/linequote]

Since the appointment of Pochettino, however, the 21 year old has gone from strength to strength, scoring his 10th goal in all competitions against Asteras Tripolis. He has pretty much established himself as a hero to Spurs fans, but also an idol to younger fans – like myself – that a dream of playing for your childhood club is more than achievable through hard work.

If he can continue to improve our squad, one by one, it won’t be long before we see a squad full of young, talented individuals working as a team to not only win games – but do so in style. Until then, however, let’s not put pressure on the manager or boo the players.

It’s not surprise that players perform best when the fans at the ground are fully behind them and this support acts as a twelfth man, spurring the players on. We have a good squad and a world class goalkeeper – something that can only be built on. If there was one man that could help take us to the next level, Pochettino has the potential to do so. Give him time.