Tottenham’s quest for a trophy has now stretched to eleven years and that drought puts Pochettino under more pressure to succeed.
Mauricio Pochettino has built a team that plays attractive and entertaining football, but winning trophies is still beyond Tottenham’s reach. The Argentine-born tactician must find a winning formula. And while it’s too early to draw definitive conclusions, losing games when it matters seems to be a sign of weaknesses in this Tottenham’s side.
Courtesy: IBTimesUK
There’s no doubt that Pochettino has brought an identity at the club. Tottenham is a team that plays with energy, creativity, and intelligence. The Hotspur likes to maintain possession, attack spaces on the flanks, and seize control of the midfield. It’s also a team that’s devastating on the front foot and disciplined on the back foot.
But when you add it all together Pochettino still doesn’t have a trophy to show for it.
Tottenham’s Champions League collapse at the hands of Juventus–and the recent defeat against Manchester United in FA Cup semi-finals–sums up their inability to finish the job.
Pochettino says that winning a trophy shouldn’t be a yardstick to measure progress at Tottenham, but–in fact–it is. In truth, Pochettino needs to strike a balance between playing attractive football and capturing a trophy.
But evidently Pochettino doesn’t see it that way. He has been playing down the importance of the FA Cup, saying that the Premier League and the Champions League were higher up on his priority list. That position, in my view, is a misguided stance. He should target every trophy because Tottenham desperately needs to win one.
Pochettino was hired to win trophies. Anything short of that is a failure. Tottenham have lost eight consecutive FA Cup semi-finals and it’s no surprise that pundits are questioning whether Pochettino has the right mentality to bring silverware to the club.
Courtesy: Sky Sports
There’s also the matter of Pochettino keeping his squad together if the players don’t have at least one trophy to show for their hard work.
Pochettino’s frustration is shining through, too. It seems that he’s feeling the pressure a bit more than when he arrived at the club, and I wonder whether Pochettino is ready to commit his long-term future at the club. It seems that he’s open for a move if an opportunity presents itself.
Tottenham’s quest for a trophy has now stretched to eleven years. That drought puts Pochettino under more pressure to succeed.
In fairness, Pochettino has done an excellent job with the Hotspur. But winning a trophy would be indisputable proof that Tottenham is the best of the best.
The club can’t say that now.
