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Nice article I've just read online ...
Gone are the days when star players leave Tottenham with guarantees of better football
BY RAJ BAINS 2 HOURS AGO
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It's only natural that when a young, promising side has several promising players coming through at once, the biggest names in European football collectively swoop like vultures, and pick the team apart, piece by piece. Having happened countless times in the past, many have given this current crop of Tottenham talent a similarly limited life expectancy in lilywhite, and you can hardly blame them. Spurs have the finest first choice starting eleven in the Premier League, and with so many that make up the spine of that side either approaching their prime or right in the heart of it, they're ripe for the picking.
This summer alone, both Benfica and Monaco have seen some of their star players poached after impressing, with more linked with moves away as the window drags on. Yet, there's a difference where buying from Tottenham is concerned, and that comes down to coaching. In the past, when big players have forced their way out of north London, it's been because their talent has hit a ceiling within Spurs naturally, and the time has come for them to test themselves on a bigger stage. The likes of Dimitar Berbatov, Luka Modric and Gareth Bale would've been transformative talents no matter the shirt they were wearing, but that simply isn't the case any longer.
Currently, this Spurs team are successful because of the singular vision they've bought in to under Mauricio Pochettino, and it's unclear for some of them if they'd have been anywhere near as successful had he not been the one to oversee their development. Much like how a fountain pen starts life as a uniform instrument before being bent in to shape by the will of its owner, it's hard to see how anybody else can get the same results out of these players as Pochettino has - especially in the short term. In much the same way you can't just borrow somebody else's glasses, taking talent from the current Spurs side is likely better on paper than it will be in reality, because you can't expect them to perform as intended when they've been removed from the environment that helped propel them to that level.
The way Pochettino trains and prepares his players isn't orthodox - essentially tearing them down to their constituent parts before remoulding them in to exactly the player he needs, teams need to be wary when taking players who've been customised for somebody else's needs. Kyle Walker, for example, is the best right full-back in the league at present, but Guardiola will need to spend time training the Pochettino out of him before he can expect his own methods to fully sink in. Unlike those past sales of Berbatov, Modric and Bale, these clubs are no longer buying blank canvas talent to do with whatever they please, but fully rounded players who've been bred for a specific purpose.
For all the sense it makes for Manchester United to chase a player like Eric Dier in theory, the fact of the matter is that a manager in the mould of Mourinho is unlikely to get him playing at the same level as he's shown at Tottenham, and that lack of instant gratification will only cause issues. While he may claim to have a good record of bringing youth through, the opposite is true for Mourinho in reality, and he'd be quick to dismiss Dier if he didn't hit top form almost instantaneously. Pochettino has created a squad that are high maintenance in all the right ways, but that would make them extremely difficult for other coaches to get any joy from right away.
In truth, it's something the players themselves should be aware of, as well. In the case of Walker, he should know that what was expected of him at Tottenham played to his strengths, while the more technical and intricate role Guardiola is likely to have in mind for him as an inverted full-back may take longer than he expects to fully adapt to. The same goes for Eric Dier, who's been afforded a double-life as both a central defender in a three and as a holding midfielder otherwise, and that wouldn't have happened at any other club. Spurs are more than the sum of their parts because of the alchemy Pochettino created between the players, and they should be aware of the positive effect that has had on them, and what turning their backs on it may result in.
Previously, leaving Tottenham for a so-called bigger club was a no-brainer. More money, better football, a more high profile coach, increased quality of competition and more talent in the team surrounding you - these days, the only thing you're guaranteed when leaving is more money. That will, in time, be addressed, but Rome wasn't built in a day. If anything, Tottenham are being punished for being ahead of schedule and overachieving, but so long as players value sporting achievement as much as they do money - which, for the most part, the majority of this current squad appear to - the club will survive, and continue to make sustained advances both on and off the field.
Loyalty and reward are abstract terms in the current landscape of football, but to suggest that Tottenham remains one of precious few sides where loyalty is rewarded isn't too far away from the truth. What the club lack in ambition on their wage bill, they more than make up for in other areas - the only decision a footballer has to make is whether or not they prioritise being a better player, or a richer one. In time, that cash flow problem will solve itself - after all, it's a decade long project the club are still in the process of finalising - and there will be a balancing act to be performed in the meantime. For those that remain once the act is done, there's no doubt that both their footballing desire and wish to be remunerated as appropriate will be seen to. While, for those that have chosen to jump ship mid-course, they may struggle to find the paradise they were hoping for.
Gone are the days when star players leave Tottenham with guarantees of better football
BY RAJ BAINS 2 HOURS AGO
SHARE
It's only natural that when a young, promising side has several promising players coming through at once, the biggest names in European football collectively swoop like vultures, and pick the team apart, piece by piece. Having happened countless times in the past, many have given this current crop of Tottenham talent a similarly limited life expectancy in lilywhite, and you can hardly blame them. Spurs have the finest first choice starting eleven in the Premier League, and with so many that make up the spine of that side either approaching their prime or right in the heart of it, they're ripe for the picking.
This summer alone, both Benfica and Monaco have seen some of their star players poached after impressing, with more linked with moves away as the window drags on. Yet, there's a difference where buying from Tottenham is concerned, and that comes down to coaching. In the past, when big players have forced their way out of north London, it's been because their talent has hit a ceiling within Spurs naturally, and the time has come for them to test themselves on a bigger stage. The likes of Dimitar Berbatov, Luka Modric and Gareth Bale would've been transformative talents no matter the shirt they were wearing, but that simply isn't the case any longer.
Currently, this Spurs team are successful because of the singular vision they've bought in to under Mauricio Pochettino, and it's unclear for some of them if they'd have been anywhere near as successful had he not been the one to oversee their development. Much like how a fountain pen starts life as a uniform instrument before being bent in to shape by the will of its owner, it's hard to see how anybody else can get the same results out of these players as Pochettino has - especially in the short term. In much the same way you can't just borrow somebody else's glasses, taking talent from the current Spurs side is likely better on paper than it will be in reality, because you can't expect them to perform as intended when they've been removed from the environment that helped propel them to that level.
The way Pochettino trains and prepares his players isn't orthodox - essentially tearing them down to their constituent parts before remoulding them in to exactly the player he needs, teams need to be wary when taking players who've been customised for somebody else's needs. Kyle Walker, for example, is the best right full-back in the league at present, but Guardiola will need to spend time training the Pochettino out of him before he can expect his own methods to fully sink in. Unlike those past sales of Berbatov, Modric and Bale, these clubs are no longer buying blank canvas talent to do with whatever they please, but fully rounded players who've been bred for a specific purpose.
For all the sense it makes for Manchester United to chase a player like Eric Dier in theory, the fact of the matter is that a manager in the mould of Mourinho is unlikely to get him playing at the same level as he's shown at Tottenham, and that lack of instant gratification will only cause issues. While he may claim to have a good record of bringing youth through, the opposite is true for Mourinho in reality, and he'd be quick to dismiss Dier if he didn't hit top form almost instantaneously. Pochettino has created a squad that are high maintenance in all the right ways, but that would make them extremely difficult for other coaches to get any joy from right away.
In truth, it's something the players themselves should be aware of, as well. In the case of Walker, he should know that what was expected of him at Tottenham played to his strengths, while the more technical and intricate role Guardiola is likely to have in mind for him as an inverted full-back may take longer than he expects to fully adapt to. The same goes for Eric Dier, who's been afforded a double-life as both a central defender in a three and as a holding midfielder otherwise, and that wouldn't have happened at any other club. Spurs are more than the sum of their parts because of the alchemy Pochettino created between the players, and they should be aware of the positive effect that has had on them, and what turning their backs on it may result in.
Previously, leaving Tottenham for a so-called bigger club was a no-brainer. More money, better football, a more high profile coach, increased quality of competition and more talent in the team surrounding you - these days, the only thing you're guaranteed when leaving is more money. That will, in time, be addressed, but Rome wasn't built in a day. If anything, Tottenham are being punished for being ahead of schedule and overachieving, but so long as players value sporting achievement as much as they do money - which, for the most part, the majority of this current squad appear to - the club will survive, and continue to make sustained advances both on and off the field.
Loyalty and reward are abstract terms in the current landscape of football, but to suggest that Tottenham remains one of precious few sides where loyalty is rewarded isn't too far away from the truth. What the club lack in ambition on their wage bill, they more than make up for in other areas - the only decision a footballer has to make is whether or not they prioritise being a better player, or a richer one. In time, that cash flow problem will solve itself - after all, it's a decade long project the club are still in the process of finalising - and there will be a balancing act to be performed in the meantime. For those that remain once the act is done, there's no doubt that both their footballing desire and wish to be remunerated as appropriate will be seen to. While, for those that have chosen to jump ship mid-course, they may struggle to find the paradise they were hoping for.
Name checked Kyle Walker-Peters, Josh Onamoah and Harry Winks - big season for those lads.
Nice article I've just read online ...
Gone are the days when star players leave Tottenham with guarantees of better football
BY RAJ BAINS 2 HOURS AGO
SHARE
It's only natural that when a young, promising side has several promising players coming through at once, the biggest names in European football collectively swoop like vultures, and pick the team apart, piece by piece. Having happened countless times in the past, many have given this current crop of Tottenham talent a similarly limited life expectancy in lilywhite, and you can hardly blame them. Spurs have the finest first choice starting eleven in the Premier League, and with so many that make up the spine of that side either approaching their prime or right in the heart of it, they're ripe for the picking.
This summer alone, both Benfica and Monaco have seen some of their star players poached after impressing, with more linked with moves away as the window drags on. Yet, there's a difference where buying from Tottenham is concerned, and that comes down to coaching. In the past, when big players have forced their way out of north London, it's been because their talent has hit a ceiling within Spurs naturally, and the time has come for them to test themselves on a bigger stage. The likes of Dimitar Berbatov, Luka Modric and Gareth Bale would've been transformative talents no matter the shirt they were wearing, but that simply isn't the case any longer.
Currently, this Spurs team are successful because of the singular vision they've bought in to under Mauricio Pochettino, and it's unclear for some of them if they'd have been anywhere near as successful had he not been the one to oversee their development. Much like how a fountain pen starts life as a uniform instrument before being bent in to shape by the will of its owner, it's hard to see how anybody else can get the same results out of these players as Pochettino has - especially in the short term. In much the same way you can't just borrow somebody else's glasses, taking talent from the current Spurs side is likely better on paper than it will be in reality, because you can't expect them to perform as intended when they've been removed from the environment that helped propel them to that level.
The way Pochettino trains and prepares his players isn't orthodox - essentially tearing them down to their constituent parts before remoulding them in to exactly the player he needs, teams need to be wary when taking players who've been customised for somebody else's needs. Kyle Walker, for example, is the best right full-back in the league at present, but Guardiola will need to spend time training the Pochettino out of him before he can expect his own methods to fully sink in. Unlike those past sales of Berbatov, Modric and Bale, these clubs are no longer buying blank canvas talent to do with whatever they please, but fully rounded players who've been bred for a specific purpose.
For all the sense it makes for Manchester United to chase a player like Eric Dier in theory, the fact of the matter is that a manager in the mould of Mourinho is unlikely to get him playing at the same level as he's shown at Tottenham, and that lack of instant gratification will only cause issues. While he may claim to have a good record of bringing youth through, the opposite is true for Mourinho in reality, and he'd be quick to dismiss Dier if he didn't hit top form almost instantaneously. Pochettino has created a squad that are high maintenance in all the right ways, but that would make them extremely difficult for other coaches to get any joy from right away.
In truth, it's something the players themselves should be aware of, as well. In the case of Walker, he should know that what was expected of him at Tottenham played to his strengths, while the more technical and intricate role Guardiola is likely to have in mind for him as an inverted full-back may take longer than he expects to fully adapt to. The same goes for Eric Dier, who's been afforded a double-life as both a central defender in a three and as a holding midfielder otherwise, and that wouldn't have happened at any other club. Spurs are more than the sum of their parts because of the alchemy Pochettino created between the players, and they should be aware of the positive effect that has had on them, and what turning their backs on it may result in.
Previously, leaving Tottenham for a so-called bigger club was a no-brainer. More money, better football, a more high profile coach, increased quality of competition and more talent in the team surrounding you - these days, the only thing you're guaranteed when leaving is more money. That will, in time, be addressed, but Rome wasn't built in a day. If anything, Tottenham are being punished for being ahead of schedule and overachieving, but so long as players value sporting achievement as much as they do money - which, for the most part, the majority of this current squad appear to - the club will survive, and continue to make sustained advances both on and off the field.
Loyalty and reward are abstract terms in the current landscape of football, but to suggest that Tottenham remains one of precious few sides where loyalty is rewarded isn't too far away from the truth. What the club lack in ambition on their wage bill, they more than make up for in other areas - the only decision a footballer has to make is whether or not they prioritise being a better player, or a richer one. In time, that cash flow problem will solve itself - after all, it's a decade long project the club are still in the process of finalising - and there will be a balancing act to be performed in the meantime. For those that remain once the act is done, there's no doubt that both their footballing desire and wish to be remunerated as appropriate will be seen to. While, for those that have chosen to jump ship mid-course, they may struggle to find the paradise they were hoping for.
Great Read. Particularly liked this bit: "If anything, Tottenham are being punished for being ahead of schedule and overachieving"
My main concern at the moment is that certain fans / media will turn on the manager / club if their increased expectations arent fulfilled this season.
The guy on the left....
1st team sports science assistant, Sebastiano Pochettino. The Pochettino family really getting involved with the club!
I love that. It really seems like Poch is in for the long haul.
They used to be crap. I don't know if it's down to him directly but since Poch our mentality with social media skills & giving a fuck about past players etc has improved vastly
Poch is Levy's dream. Intelligent, comes across well in the press and media, doesn't kick up a fuss when he doesn't get his transfers in for preseason, doesn't expect us to compete with transfers and wages.
Poch won't be happy deep down as he has always said he wants players in for preseason, but it's out of his hands as we know. Getting paid £5.5m a year will take the sting out of that. ;-)
Poch won't be happy deep down as he has always said he wants players in for preseason, but it's out of his hands as we know. Getting paid £5.5m a year will take the sting out of that. ;-)
It'd be unbelievably awesome if we got to see him bring Maurizio into the senior squad.
Though he'll have to be good enough!
ochlol:
Fucking nepotism, Poch out!The guy on the left....
1st team sports science assistant, Sebastiano Pochettino. The Pochettino family really getting involved with the club!
ochlol:
