Mauricio Pochettino is “a man of fervent ambition, discipline, and dedication – whose temperament infuses teams that fight tooth and nail,” writes Thore Haugstad in his fantastic long-read look into Tottenham’s Argentine manager (which we highly recommend.) “His composed touchline persona can deceive,” Haugstad goes on to say.
Deceiving indeed. Because a coach who finds unlikely inspiration in Britney Spears’ and will.i.am’s 2013 hit single “Scream and Shout” can probably only be described as “composed” for so long.
Pochettino’s definitely has a unique competitive flair, and he proved it earlier this week when “all eyes on us” was the first thing that came to mind when asked about a potential fourth-place finish in comparison to north London rival Arsenal winning the title.
“It’s like what Britney Spears and will.i.am. sing: ‘Everybody in the club, all eyes on us, all eyes on us,” Pochettino said. “Because it’s not important what Arsenal do. For me it’s important to assess our seasons and how we can compare with us, not how we compare with another team. If we finish in the top four it will be because we have improved on last season.”
Moral of Pochettino’s story: Ignore Arsenal (which might be easier said than done after so many years in the Gunners’ shadow ?). His Spurs currently sit fourth in the table with 35 points after a victory vs. Norwich over the weekend, and will look to add another three vs. Watford away today. Tottenham has only suffered two defeats this season, and – barring total collapse – looks poised to make a run for the Champions League. Only time will tell if Pochettino’s “all eyes on us” mantra will guide his side away from Thursday night Europa action and into the prime time in the near future.