It’s not often that we see managerial movements dominate the headlines but that’s exactly the case at the moment. Following the conclusion of domestic leagues across Europe, several managers have either left and were asked to vacate their position by the club. Even title-winning managers have departed their positions despite enjoying successful seasons. Here, we look at some of the managerial changes that have taken place recently or about to happen following the conclusion of the top five leagues in Europe.

The Serie A exchange program

Juventus fire Pirlo to bring back Allegri

Former Serie A champions decided to part ways with club legend Andrea Pirlo after just one season in charge. The former midfielder had replaced Maurizio Sarri in August 2020 and nearly missed out on qualifying for the UEFA Champions League next season.

Good luck, @Pirlo_official and thank you for these emotions! ⚪⚫

�?JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) May 28, 2021

Under Pirlo’s watch, Juventus�?nine-year reign as Serie A champions came to an end. As a result, the club from Turin has turned to their former manager Massimiliano Allegri, who has signed a contract until June 2025.

Allegri was thought to be a target for Real Madrid, who parted ways with Zinedine Zidane recently. However, no firm contact from the Spanish club saw the Italian coach decide to return to Juventus on a �?m per year salary.

Inzaghi to Inter, Gattuso to Fiorentina and Spalletti to Napoli

Juventus aren’t the only Italian club that has witnessed a change of managers in the off season though. After leading Inter Milan to the Serie A title, Antonio Conte and the Nerazzurri decided to mutually terminate his contract following a boardroom fallout. Inter are on the verge of announcing Simone Inzaghi as their new manager.

Meanwhile, Gennaro Gattuso, who was sacked by Napoli less than a week ago, is set to take charge of Fiorentina. The vacant managerial spot at Napoli, meanwhile, is likely to be filled by Luciano Spalletti, who has managed Serie A outfits AS Roma and Inter in the past.

Title-winning Ligue 1 manager on the move

Christophe Galtier to stay in France

By the time Christophe Galtier was leading Lille to a historic Ligue 1 title, his heart was already set on moving away from the club. The 54-year-old had already announced that he would leave Lille at the end of the season and transfer guru Fabrizio Romano says his next club is most likely going to be OGC Nice.

Premier League’s sweet reunion

Spurs want Pochettino back

After joining Paris Saint-Germain in January, reports have emerged that Mauricio Pochettino is once again a wanted man in north London. His former employers Tottenham Hotspur are keen on a potential reunion. This, however, could be a long shot as despite Pochettino’s desire to return to Spurs, PSG could be unwilling to part ways and find a new manager at the moment.

Furthermore, The Guardian has reported that Pochettino is wanted by Real Madrid and is being pursued by club president Florentino Perez. A few other outsiders in the running for the Tottenham job are Brighton’s Graham Potter and former RB Leipzig manager Ralf Rangnick. Conte is another option but that remains a long shot.

Featured photo: AFP / Isabella Binotto, Franck Fife

“We have an idea, a footballing philosophy and a structure that will lead us to victory,�?new Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino seemed adamant following his side’s 1-1 draw against St. Etienne in his first game in charge. 

The oil-rich PSG model has been designed to succeed at the European level, and anything other than that has not been acceptable, either to the fans or to the owner. Pochettino’s predecessor Thomas Tuchel has learnt this the hard way. 

Tuchel was axed months after leading the French champions to the UEFA Champions League final against Bayern Munich, and regardless of the run, a reported tussle coupled with a subsequent gap between them and leaders Lyon in the 2020-21 Ligue 1 season culminated in his sacking.

PSG are an absolute example of modern day football. They hold little patience, and rightly so. The board has injected a bucket load of money in the squad, and all they want in return is instant success. And this is where things get tricky for Pochettino. 

A jump from Tottenham to a club like PSG might seem like a massive coup on papers, but there are several issues that the former Tottenham boss needs to address. Here we look at a few of them:

Handling the transfers well

With the likes of Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen now available in the market, media speculations were quick to address a potential reunion of the trio (Pochettino and the players) in Paris. It is to be noted, however, that PSG already have enough players in the attacking third and the aforementioned duo will be surplus to their requirements, at least in the winter transfer window.

The issue with Tuchel during his final months wasn’t limited to the field. He was quite vocal about how the club was allowing important members to leave on free transfers. "We lose too many players on free transfers. It is too, too much. We cannot ask this squad the same thing as we did last season," the German said back in October.

The hierarchy (sporting director Leonardo) simply responded by saying, “I didn't like his comments, the club didn't like them either."

Tuchel had all the rights to speak out after the likes of Thiago Silva (Chelsea), Edinson Cavani (Manchester United), Thomas Meunier (Borussia Dortmund) and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (Bayern Munich) all moved out on free transfers. And barring the latter, all three have established themselves as an important part of their respective teams.

Thing to note here for Pochetiino, at least in the formative years, is that he needs to work his philosophy as per the members of the board to shape the structure.

Sorting out the contractual situation

The aforementioned obstacle leads up to another problem for Pochettino with several PSG players in the final few years of their contract. The likes of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar see their contract expiring in June 2022 as per Transfermarkt, and there are several others who need addressing as well. 

The Argentine manager has never, in his career, worked with as glittering a lineup as PSG, and thus sorting out a decent playing XI might take time. That, however, is the only entity he doesn’t have.

Winger Angel Di Maria has entered the final six months of his tenure at PSG, and to rub salt on his already deepened wounds, Tuchel decided to bench him against Lorient while saying, “I feel like Angel has lost some things that were easy for him before.�?/span>

Pochettino has been at the end of a mass exodus at Tottenham, but PSG represents a different challenge altogether. At 32, Di Maria sure has a year or two left in his tank, but that is upto Pochettino to decide where he burns his fuel. The good thing amidst all this is the fact that Juan Bernat is reportedly closing in on agreeing a new deal. Julian Draxler, on the other hand, is expected to let go in the summer of 2021.

Bring in the Champions League 

Winning the Ligue 1 title has been nothing but a cakewalk for PSG. The team has, after all, won seven of the last eight domestic titles. It is the UEFA Champions League silverware that has been the only jewel left to be achieved in the wealthy PSG trunk. Since the 2012-13 season for Europe’s grand competition, PSG have bowed out from the quarter-finals a whopping four times. They made it to the final last year and three years before that, they were eliminated from the round of 16 itself.

That’s an extremely subpar record for a team that boasts of players of the highest quality. When you look at it, that has been a constant problem for PSG, as more stars mean there is no balance in the playing XI. While their attacking duo remains constant (when fit), a rotation every now and then disturbs the structure.

Pochettino not only has to work on bringing in the balance, but he will also have to get his hands on the coveted European title before the clock starts ticking. PSG are to face their old foes Barcelona in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League, in February, and a win over the Catalans would represent as a major headway in the new Pochettino era.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Philippe Desmazes

Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain have appointed former Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino as their new manager on Saturday following the sacking of Thomas Tuchel.

The 48-year-old Argentine has signed a contract until June 30, 2022, with an option for an additional year.

Welcome Mauricio Pochettino pic.twitter.com/Fr4ZgKxhNI

�?Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) January 2, 2021

“I am really happy and honoured to become the new coach of Paris Saint-Germain," Pochettino told the club's official website.

“I would like to thank the club's management for the trust they have placed in me. As you know, this club has always held a special place in my heart. I have wonderful memories, especially of the unique atmosphere of the Parc des Princes.

"I return to the club today with a lot of ambition and humility, and am eager to work with some of the world’s most talented players. This team has fantastic potential and my staff and I will do everything we can to get the best for Paris Saint-Germain in all competitions.

"We will also do our utmost to give our team the combative and attacking playing identity that Parisian fans have always loved.�?/p>

"I'm very happy to be here, I think it's an amazing opportunity, it's an amazing project"

The first interview with our new head coach, Mauricio Pochettino!

#AllezParis pic.twitter.com/Pm8o7AD8bA

�?Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) January 2, 2021

Pochettino will take his first training session on Sunday ahead of his first game in charge, a trip to 14th-placed Saint-Étienne on Wednesday when the league resumes following the winter break.

Constantly linked with Manchester United, Pochettino spent two years of his playing career at PSG, winning the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2001. He has been out of work since being sacked by Tottenham in November 2019.

As for Tuchel, he joined PSG at the beginning of the 2018-19 season and guided the team to two back-to-back league titles coupled with one Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue in 2020. He also took the team to the 2019-20 UEFA Champions League final, but lost to eventual champions Bayern Munich.

The surprising decision of sacking Tuchel was taken a night after PSG had thrashed Strasbourg 4-0 in the league. As things stand, the defending champions sit third in the Ligue 1 table with 35 points, only a point behind leaders Lyon. The team has lost four of their 17 games already this season, which is one more than they lost in the entire 2019-20 Ligue 1 season.

According to reports, there were tensions between Tuchel and PSG club management involving club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and sporting director Leonardo, as the Paris hierarchy were unhappy with his style of play. They had suffered a disappointing 1-0 loss at home to Lyon on December 13 before playing a dull goalless draw at Lille on Sunday. In the Champions League, they lost to Manchester United and RB Leipzig but managed to qualify for the Round of 16 of Europe's elite football competition.

Back in October, Tuchel had criticized Leonardo by saying, "We lose too many players on free transfers. It is too, too much. We cannot ask this squad the same thing as we did last season."

Leonardo responded to him the very day. "I didn't like his comments, the club didn't like them either."

"We have to understand the moment we are going through. If someone is not happy, it is easy -- we can talk. But if you decide to stay, you have to respect the people above you."

The likes of Thiago Silva (Chelsea), Edinson Cavani (Manchester United), Thomas Meunier (Borussia Dortmund) and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (Bayern Munich) all left PSG during last summer on a free transfer.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter/ PSG_English

Almost a year since his sacking as Tottenham Hotspur boss, Mauricio Pochettino is still without a job, and while watching him analyse Leicester City’s win over Leeds United as a guest pundit with Jamie Carragher on Monday Night Football, one couldn’t help but ask, for how long?

Among the most talented young managers in the game, Pochettino has had his fair share of offers that he’s turned down while out of management. One offer that he will surely find difficult to, and is unlikely to turn down, though, is the Manchester United job.

Considered one of the most difficult jobs in football, England’s sleeping giants have been a shell of themselves ever since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013 and Pochettino �?the man who helped reestablish Southampton and made Spurs a top-four regular �?could be the answer to United’s woes.

As is well-documented, United’s present manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has failed to convince most fans and pundits about his credentials of being the right man to lead the club forward. Apart from his first three months in the job as interim manager, Solskjaer’s tenure at United has been synonymous with inconsistency.

Sublime on some days and ridiculous during others, Solskjaer’s side tend to go on runs of extremes. His inability to stamp a distinctive style of play on the team almost two years and 100 games into his reign, coupled with on-field inconsistency doesn’t shine him in the best of lights. The start of United’s ongoing campaign is perhaps the best example of the Norwegian’s reign.

If United are brilliant in the Champions League against top-quality opponents, they look conversely uninspired in the league, having failed to win any of their opening four matches at home �?their worst Premier League start ever. The lack of a recognized playing XI and his changes in personnel during games haven’t helped him convince doubters either.

If anything, his decision to substitute playmaker Bruno Fernandes and wonderkid Mason Greenwood while chasing the game against Arsenal last weekend only strengthened his naysayers�?opinion of the Norwegian being tactically inept and in general, woefully out of his depth under the bright lights in the Old Trafford dugout.

And while he has done some good in strengthening the camaraderie in the dressing room and bringing through talented youth players from the academy, it’s become plainly obvious in recent weeks that Solskjaer isn’t the man to get the consistency out of United that’s required from a European powerhouse.

This is why United cannot let the opportunity of signing Pochettino just pass them by because it’s not every day that a manager the calibre of the Argentine is available in the market. Having improved every club that he’s been with, there’s no doubting the fact that he would improve a United squad filled with several top-quality talents.

His fondness of trusting youth is in keeping with United’s tradition and his off the ball pressing style which revolutionized the Premier League will be more than welcome at Old Trafford. That said, there are some doubters that believe that Pochettino’s not the ideal fit for the Red Devils because he’s yet to win a trophy as manager and doesn’t use wingers, which is steeped deep in United traditions.

However, that’s not to say that he can’t use wide players if the right players are made available and moreover, United’s current squad don’t exactly deploy traditional wingers in the ilk of David Beckham and Ryan Giggs.

Instead, they mostly use inverted wingers that like to cut in and are blessed with a lot of depth in midfield which will suit Pochettino’s narrow formation through the centre, while allowing the full-backs to overlap.

As far as reservations concerning his ability to win a trophy go, one look at Solskjaer’s record as a manager in Europe’s best league should be enough to remind fans that the Norwegian isn’t a serial winner himself.

Simply put, Pochettino has improved every club that he’s been at in his career so far and is certain to make United more of a force than they are now under Solskjaer. However, it is important that the United board acts fast and in a decisive manner because managers of Pochettino’s class don’t stay out of a job for too long.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Ian Kington

Mauricio Pochettino insisted Friday that he was "happy" that Jose Mourinho replaced him as Tottenham coach.

Mourinho took over in November despite Pochettino having enjoyed a successful five-and-a-half-year spell in charge of the London side.

"I am so happy that he is at Tottenham, replacing me," admitted Pochettino who is now officially off the payroll at Spurs after his six-month gardening leave ended.

That leaves him free to take other jobs without the worry of prospective employers having to pay compensation.

"And of course I am happy as well to leave the club in the way that we left it, with all the facilities that are the best in the world. For sure, he is very grateful for the way that we helped to build the club, which is now his club."

Read | Solskjaer warns 'personal agendas' will not be tolerated

Potchettino recalled how he and Mourinho had forged a close relationship during their days as rivals in Spain's La Liga.

"With Jose, we know each other for a long time," he explained.

"When I was the coach of Espanyol, and he was at Real Madrid, we had a very good relationship. He's a top coach. And in life, look what happens. I always think I'd replace him.

"He was at Real Madrid. I say, 'Oh, maybe one day I can take your place at Real Madrid', and look at how life works out! He has taken my place at Tottenham. Unbelievable, eh?" 

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Oli Scarff

Mauricio Pochettino says returning to the Premier League is his "priority", stating he is eager to manage again six months after being sacked by Tottenham.

The 48-year-old transformed Spurs' fortunes during his five-and-a-half-year reign but failed to win a trophy and was sacked less than a year after leading them to the Champions League final.

The Argentine has now ended his six-month "gardening leave", meaning he is free to join another club. He has been heavily linked with Newcastle if their proposed Saudi Arabia-backed takeover goes through, while speculation over the Manchester United job has never gone away.

"After six months, our tanks are completely full," Pochettino told various British media outlets.

"I have tried with my coaching staff to review everything that we did in the last seven years (including Southampton) because we never had a break until now."

Pochettino, who still lives in London, said he "loved" England and the Premier League.

Read | Pochettino 'happy' that Mourinho replaced him at Tottenham

"I am not going change (my feelings) now because I am not involved in the Premier League," he said. "Because I am no longer the Tottenham manager, I am not going to change my vision.

"I still think the Premier League is the best league in the world. We enjoy it a lot. Of course, it's one of the options. Of course, it can be my priority but I am not closed to move to a different country."

Pochettino said due to the uncertainty caused by the ongoing global pandemic, it was difficult to know what opportunities would be available.

"Today we are going to live a completely different era in football that we need to discover," he said. "It's difficult to know what project is going to be the right project.

"There are many things, at the moment, that we have in our minds about how things are going to be after this virus hopefully disappears, but how are these clubs or companies, because that's what they are, going to be? It's a big question mark."

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Ian Kington

Mauricio Pochettino is tangled in a tricky situation at Tottenham.

After stating how important it was for his players to move on from the 7-2 thrashing at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Champions League, Brighton not only made it harder for them to move on but rubbed salt on an already deep wound with a 3-0 drubbing in the Premier League. Tottenham have now lost 17 games in all competitions in 2019, which is most by any other top-flight side.

If you’re to expound a Mauricio Pochettino team, you’d underline a young, hungry and energetic squad capable of playing a high-line football. But the team that played against Brighton on Saturday seemed bereft of all these traits.

When Pochettino took over Tottenham, he developed the youngest starting XI in the Premier League; something which continued for two subsequent seasons. Fast forward to the present day though, and his team is now the fourth oldest in the league.

22 - Tottenham Hotspur have won just 22 points from their last 20 Premier League games; their lowest points tally over a 20-game spell in the competition since August 31st 2008 - January 18th 2009 (21 points). Gap. pic.twitter.com/dI3pEwHUE0

�?OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 7, 2019

The inconsistent patches Tottenham are enduring is something every club goes through, and remodeling the structure is something that makes teams tick. As we speak of remodeling, Tottenham have never been optimal at it. From not getting a single signing in 2018, to inducing a net spend of around £120m in 2019, the board actually forgot the flip side of the negotiation; something which should ideally be a two-way streak.

Now, the Argentine’s situation is complex. He is left with the players who desired to accept new challenges, but lack of interest meant there was nowhere to go. Christian Eriksen, for instance, attracted heavy interest from Real Madrid, but the record European champions decided to go against the move.

10 - Tottenham have conceded 10 goals in their last two games in all competitions; the first time they have done so across two matches since December 1997 (1-6 loss to Chelsea, 0-4 loss to Coventry). Leaky. pic.twitter.com/mIAiKUfHdp

�?OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 5, 2019

The likes of Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen and Danny Rose underwent a similar transition where the former’s move to Manchester United collapsed. Note that these are the same players who once made Tottenham one of the finest defensive units.

The center-back pairing of Alderweireld and Vertonghen, who are both out of contract next summer, was a true delight. Composed with the ball and equally ferocious while defending, the Belgians faced the challenges with ease. This year though, the two have been made look like a bunch of amateurs.

7 - Tottenham Hotspur are the first English side to concede seven goals in any European competition since Tottenham Hotspur themselves lost 0-8 to FC Koln in the UEFA Intertoto Cup in July 1995. Spursy. pic.twitter.com/2AK3SK62xp

�?OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 1, 2019

Some shrewd business in the summer did add numbers to the team, but in a way that made life horrible for Pochettino. Now packed with options, the manager is struggling to find the right balance in the midfield; an area which was supposed to be looked after by the likes of Lo Celso and Ndombele. Injuries to the former and an inconsistent patch for the latter means the team is back to squad one. As we speak of Eriksen, the Dane is far from being his usual best. He is, in fact, delivering fewer key passes per 90 minutes than he has in his entire Tottenham career.

5 - Tottenham’s 2-7 defeat to Bayern Munich was the biggest ever margin of defeat by an English team at home in any European competition. Crushing. pic.twitter.com/LnUf8PKaWO

�?OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 1, 2019

In that sense, the January transfer market will be extremely crucial. The board will have a clear air regarding Alderweireld and Vertonghen, and Pochettino will look to rectify the team accordingly.

The transition from being a mid-table club to a Champions League finalist under Pochettino is indeed remarkable, but the board needs to understand when to pull a plug. As things are, they are on the verge of losing their finest men, either on a free or on half a price they demanded in the past.

Overall, they will be the losers in the negotiations.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Glyn Kirk

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino admitted he does not have the words to console disheartened players and fans after Saturday's 3-0 defeat at Brighton compounded a miserable week for Spurs.

Four days on from a 7-2 thrashing at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Champions League, Pochettino was looking for a positive reaction.

Instead, Spurs looked like a side devoid of confidence after getting off to the worst possible start when captain Hugo Lloris gifted Brighton the opener and injured himself in the process.

Neal Maupay took advantage of Lloris's fumble to head the hosts in front before 19-year-old Aaron Connolly scored twice for the Seagulls on his first Premier League start.

"We have to keep going. I have to say thank you for the fans. I feel sorry for them, it is massive effort to come and support us," said Pochettino.

"Now you cannot find any words to console them and our players because I think we are living a tough moment."

Last season's Champions League finalists have won just three of their opening 11 games of the campaign and five of their last 19 dating back to when these sides last met in April.

While Pochettino could justifiably claim Bayern's ruthlessness in midweek meant the scoreline was not a true reflection of his side's performance, there was no excuse for being thoroughly outplayed by a Brighton side that had not won in six league games.

"We've been playing quite well, but while you don't get results you always need that three points just to give you some confidence," said Brighton boss Graham Potter.

"We attacked well, we defended well, we reacted when we lost the ball, we did everything we wanted to do. The personality on the pitch was really good."

Tottenham were on the back foot from the off when injury was added to insult for Lloris.

The Spurs skipper dropped a simple cross into the box and as he fell backwards and landed awkwardly, Maupay stooped to head into an empty net.

Lloris was given oxygen and morphine before being taken to hospital and now seems certain to miss France's upcoming Euro 2020 qualifiers against Iceland and Turkey.

"He's in the hospital at the moment, the club is going to communicate (the severity of the injury) because I think he suffered a big problem in his arm," added Pochettino.

'Emotional impact'

"To concede and lose your captain was a massive emotional impact for the team." 

After a lengthy delay for Lloris to be stretchered off, Brighton pushed on rather than trying to protect their lead and were rewarded just after the half hour mark.

Connolly was twice the quickest to react as he turned Dan Burn's cross goalwards and, after Paulo Gazzaniga spilled his first effort, the Irishman followed up for his first Premier League goal.

Tottenham have made a bad habit of letting leads slip in recent weeks against Arsenal, Olympiakos, Leicester and Bayern, but when forced to mount a fightback themselves were found wanting.

Pochettino sacrificed club record signing Tanguy Ndombele at half-time for Harry Winks and changed system to a 3-5-2.

However, rather than turning the tide, it was Brighton who got the third goal to kill the game off.

Connolly jinked inside onto his right foot and curled a shot brilliantly into the far corner to round off an afternoon that he and the Seagulls will long remember.

Spurs now have a two-week break to contemplate their terrible start to the season, but Pochettino insisted he should take the burden of any blame.

"When we were on the top we were all together, and now when this type of moment arrives, we need to stick all together," added the Argentine.

"I hope that all the pressure is coming to me and lets the players be free to recover and find the way to win all together.

"Now is a moment to be strong. We cannot underestimate this type of situation, but in times that are not so good there is always the possibility to make us stronger."

Featured image courtesy: AFP/ Glyn Kirk

When Mauricio Pochettino took over Tottenham, he knew the task he had signed for is a work in progress. The assurance of taking the club into the league of elites (the top four) was still a far-fetched fantasy let alone thinking of reaching out a hand towards the club’s first title since 2008.

Tottenham had nothing to lose, yet a lot was at stake. The substandard returns from the likes of Andre Villas-Boas and Tim Sherwood coupled with a shabby business done with the £90 million received from Gareth Bale’s sale to Real Madrid didn’t really pay any dividend, to say the least.

When Pochettino arrived, a certain Harry Kane was struggling for consistency after spending his time out on loan with Norwich as well as Leicester City. Michael Dawson skippered the side, with Younes Kaboul being his second deputy�?You get the idea, right?

Pochettino’s entrant was seized through a great deal of buoyancy. After all, he had guided Southampton to their best-ever point tally in the Premier League a season before. Becoming their tenth manager over the course of 12 years, the Argentine took no time in outrightly getting rid of the deadwood. The likes of Soldado, Kaboul, Paulinho, Sandro, Dawson and others were relinquished in place of the arrivals of Heung-min Son, Toby Alderweireld, Eric Dier, Kieran Trippier, Dele Alli and Co.

Pochettino’s philosophy of building his team around the youth, which he had been carrying since the beginning was again made evident. Apart from tinkering the tactics, the blueprint he laid down with such a limited budget is a result of sheer masterclass. Inducing an aggressive style of play, the Argentine drilled a defensive solidity between the likes of Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen, while also demanding a high-pressing line from his midfielders.

And as he figured Ryan Mason and Nabil Bentaleb aren’t suited for the job, Dier and Mousa Dembele came into the fray. Pochettino’s progress at Tottenham can be understood through the fact that he led his team to a fifth, third and a second-place finish in his first three seasons. Before Pochettino, Spurs�?average finish in the Premier League lied between 8-10. Their best-ever finish in the pre-Pochettino era was fourth which they had only achieved twice.

If trophies are a synonym to success, Pochettino is indeed a failure. But the fact that he worked through his team without signing a single player in 2018 and reaching the Champions League Final is no cakewalk. Four years onto the Argentine’s Tottenham tenure, Kane �?who wasn’t afforded the deserved playing time during his loan spells �?became a Premier League and World Cup Golden Boot winner; and not a ONE SEASON WONDER. Alli went from playing in League One to becoming a two-time PFA Young Player of the Year.

Pochettino has installed a much-needed self-belief not just amongst the players, but also amongst the faithful. And while his men sometimes stumble upon their way, there is no denying the fact that Pochettino has taken Tottenham from being a mid-table club to a European giant.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Ben Stansall