What makes a good manager?
Winning matches? Titles? Philosophy of football?
While all these are features of a good football manager, the one absolutely crucial thing a good manager must know how to do, is to make his team perform better than what they are capable of.
Mauricio Pochettino is a living example of what to do as a manager to take your team to the next level.
Tottenham Hotspur have always been competitive in the English league. They, however, were never really considered as one of the big boys in England. In came Pochettino in 2014 and roughly 200 matches later, Tottenham have managed to beat the likes of Real Madrid to top their UEFA Champions League group.
The Argentine came in with great promise in 2014 from Southampton after guiding the Saints to an eighth-place finish, their highest position since 2002-03 while also recording their highest points tally in the Premier League era.
However, for Tottenham, he was the tenth man to take over the hot seat in twelve years. The club chairman Daniel Levy has never been shy of pulling the trigger. Pochettino buckled down and got to work.
Pochettino quickly involved the players from the youth academy, including braving the induction of a young Harry Kane at the expense of the expansive Roberto Soldado, a move which gained him popularity amongst the local fans.
He developed these players and his focus on youth has seen players like Dele Alli, Eric Dier, Danny Rose, Kieran Trippier and Harry Winks change into fine first team players for not just Tottenham but also England. His Tottenham team comprises a majority of the England National set-up, a contribution greatly appraised by national team manager Gareth Southgate.
Pochettino has developed the young Tottenham team into pacey, aggressive, determined players with great physical stamina and a love to move the ball fast and into the goal. The team has finished in the top three in the league for two years running now and Pochettino has converted Tottenham from a decent club with good ambitions to serious title contenders.
In a recent interview, Pochettino was recorded saying that he is very happy at the club and would love to sign an extension with Spurs that would see him stay at the club for the next ten to fifteen years. Daniel Levy would do well to tie down the fierce Argentine tactician for Tottenham as they owe him most of the credit for the great position of the club today.
Reports now have confirmed that Spurs are in the process of finalizing a new deal which will be presented to the Argentine; thereby leaving the ball in his court.
