manager?
Spurs’ Premier League opponents on Saturday, Liverpool, apparently had a new manager why did nobody mention this and why did we never see this mysterious new man in charge?
According to rumour this new man is a German, a well known German, a very recognisable German with a decent CV in his home country. You’d think that the media covering the game would have mentioned this at least once, while a TV director cut to him say on the touchline during the game.
While the away manager was completely ignored the Spurs’ manager, current Premier League Manager of the Month, Mauricio Pochettino and his team were all the media could talk about. Interview after interview, clip after clip, prediction after prediction of what he’ll do for the club.
Along with this there was an in-depth analysis of the players that Spurs had missing from this game due to injury or suspension, and the young age of the squad at Pochettino’s disposal. Along with discussions about their pressing game and the fitness they show when topping the distance covered charts and how their opposition tire before they do, leading to late equalisers and winners.
Jurgen Klopp? Never ‘eard of ‘im…
Of course we all know this would never have happened and so didn’t. Can’t say I tune in to the pre-match telly ramble any more, tune in when the match is about to start, tune out when half-time hits, back for the second 45 and pretty much off very shortly after the final whistle. As for Match of the Day, never watch it live, always recorded and the bits in-between is fast forwarded.
I’ve no interest in what the likes of Michael Owen, Kevin Kilbane, Alan Shearer or Jermaine Jenas have to say. Most of your pundits were mediocre players at best, some not even that good.
Figured I knew exactly what was coming from Klopp’s first game in charge considering what had been coming since before he even signed on. And so it was. Klopp, Klopp, Klopp. The Jurgen Klopp show. You wouldn’t even know there was another team involved with the game never mind another manager.
Spurs player has a shot… cut to Kloppo clapping.
Anyway they had the better of the opening half hour or so, without really doing anything great. Wonder if this was a Pochettino plan, knowing they’d want to impress the new boss, who likes his players to put themselves about a bit. Let them run themselves bandy and then pick up the pace and see who tires first the team that are new to this or the old hands.
No surprise that the visitors went for Spurs’ left, with the defensively capable Davies unfortunately being replaced by the clueless runner Rose.
After that initial burst from the visitors Mousa Dembele took over. Probably wouldn’t have been playing if many others had been fit or Dier available but he was and he put in a shift. Eriksen then started to get into the game but it all floundered as it got to goal. Mignolet made some saves and didn’t cough up his usual howler but Kane just doesn’t look like he’s going to score.
Do wonder if what Kane needs to do is a bit of goal hanging. It doesn’t fit in with the Pochettino way of chasing down everything left, right and centre but the number of times Kane gets the ball wide or deep and there’s nobody in and around the box for him to play it to. Maybe if he just stuck in that area and let the others do the work and feed him, chances that come might be easier.
Kane’s lack of goals, with no ready replacement, are the main factors in Spurs just being seventh despite being unbeaten since the opening game of the season. With only Liverpool out of the top ten having scored fewer goals in their nine games. Take out the four scored against Citeh and it’s just seven scored in those nine.
The joint best defensive record of seven conceded with go for nothing if they don’t come at the other end.
So with a new manager in the opposite dugout, or rather standing on the touch-line, clapping and grinning, Pochettino with the manager award, an early kick-off, it looked like a guaranteed Spurs defeat, so maybe with a draw Pochettino is changing things about, making them just a little less Spursy.
Though not Spursy was the ref allowing Milner to get away with numerous challenges that went without a booking, including a taking him out in the best Harald Schumacher tradition. And not booking Lallana for a shameless dive to try and win a penalty.
Maybe should be happy with a clean sheet and a point but then that misses the point because this game wasn’t about Spurs it was about Klopp, all about Klopp… though he was right when he said it wasn’t the best game technically.