Can Mauricio Pochettino Learn a Lesson From Brendan Rodgers?

Mauricio Pochettino comes to Tottenham Hotspur with a philosophy and a “system” – he knows exactly how he wants his players to play and what types of players he needs.  At Southampton he was highly successful at implementing his ideas, but he was occasionally accused of being too dogmatic, too beholden to his system to adapt to different situations. In many ways, the personnel at Spurs should fit his system perfectly, as many of the players were acquired with former coach Andre Villas-Boas’ preferred style in mind. Like Pochettino, AVB encouraged a high press and a corresponding high defensive line, looking to create turnovers deep in the opponent’s half and turn them quickly into scoring chances. Unfortunately for AVB, he never got to finish the project, and the current Spurs squad remains somewhat imbalanced. If Pochettino squints hard enough, he may be able to see several like-for-like comparisons between these players and his charges at Southampton. He should certainly enjoy working with attackers like Christian Eriksen and Erik Lamela. Rumors have also been swirling that Pochettino would like to reunite with some of his former players, such as Morgan Schneiderlin and Jay Rodriguez. But as Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers learned in his first season on Merseyside, sometimes the best system is to work with what you’ve got.

Rodgers tried initially to get the Reds to play the way his Swansea team did, to relentlessly control possession and probe until they could identify the perfect scoring chance. The results were mixed and Liverpool finished seventh. A season later Rodgers decided to switch things up: he changed his formation to accommodate both Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, and he adapted the team’s style of play to be more direct in order to take advantage of the tremendous pace in the frontline. From being one of the league’s most patient teams, Liverpool suddenly became one of the most aggressive – the blitzkrieg attack against Arsenal was a perfect example. 

Without the ability to read Pochettino’s mind there’s no way to know from afar how he’s assessed this Tottenham squad – especially since he himself hasn’t seen many of the players yet. But we have to hope that he will be more adept than his predecessors at finding the right mix, and putting pieces in their proper places. Certainly his bosses will be happy to know that the manager can mold a proper team without breaking the bank (again) for shiny new players. It’s a daunting task, especially in the midfield where Spurs have a collection of players with unique but limited skillsets. Pochettino made his bones at Espanyol and Southampton working wonders with small, cheaply built squads. So we shouldn’t be quick to assume that he will simply graft the setup he had at Southampton onto the personnel he has at Spurs. He has never had the heft of the current squad or the resources now available to him, so it’s possible that we see an evolution in his system.