Why Spurs sacking Pochettino has set the club back years

When Tottenham reached the Champions League final in 2019, there was a sense of optimism around the side that hadn’t been present for a long, long time.

With arguably one of the best strikers in the world at their disposal along with a shiny new stadium, things looked to be in place for Mauricio Pochettino to remain at the Spurs helm for years to come.

Football is a very fickle game though.

After a disappointing start to this campaign, with his side sitting 14th in the table, the Argentinian was sacked after five years in charge of the club.

At the time, Daniel Levy released a statement saying the club had been reluctant to part ways – that decision may have implications much larger than just this season though.

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Bringing Mourinho in felt like the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of personalities. Whilst it felt like Poch was planning long-term, few would argue against Jose being very much a short-term solution and a quick-fix.

Only opting for a quick-fix in the Premier League is an extremely naive tactic.

Let’s not take anything away from the Portuguese manager, he’s a born winner and deserves a place in the greatest of all time conversation. So far though, the decision has hardly paid off for Levy.

At the time of writing, Tottenham sit eighth in the league, out of the FA Cup and on the surface, seem to have lost direction rather than gained it.

Injuries to key men obviously haven’t helped, Harry Kane and Son Heung-min would be a huge loss to any side – never mind one that relies so heavily on them. That reliance only highlights the looming reality that neither player is guaranteed to be there next year.

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Both made no secret of their fond relationships with Poch – and with the pair being very much in the peek of their careers, any thoughts of forcing through a move wouldsurely have have been sped up by his departure.

The ex-Spurs manager is now being linked with a number of high-profile jobs, including Real Madrid and Manchester United, it’s hard to imagine he wouldn’t call on those relationships given the chance.

We’ve already seen the effect losing Kane and Son for a few months has had on the team – make that permanent and Tottenham could be in very big trouble.

Combine that with a number of other key names being at the wrong end of their careers, players like Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen who have been vital to anything positive the club has done over the last five years and things look even bleaker.

Obviously players ageing isn’t down to switching managers. Having a plan to fill those spots when they do though, certainly falls into that area. Historically speaking, solving that issue with young players isn’t Mourinho’s strong point and attracting any big names is going to be a tough task given the club’s current position.

With that being said, this summer is going to be an interesting, if not nerve-wracking period for Spurs fans. Investment is clearly needed already, big name departures will only make that investment even more complicated.

Featured image credit: Getty