Strange Vertonghen decision

The club is still in the development stage and this season he has had to learn to cope with the demands of the UEFA Champions League, the Premier League and developing the players and club. There is no right and wrong way and hindsight decisions aren't very helpful. Nobody knows what would happen if other decisions were made, everyone always assumes that a different selection must mean an improved performance, but that is not always the case.

Harry Redknapp wrote in his Evening Standard column that all managers make decisions that they might change in hindsight. If Kevin Wimmer was going to play left-back against Chelsea then it is a surprise Jan Vertonghen didn't play against Monaco, where we lacked an experienced head at the back. Fatigue was perhaps the concern. Players are monitored and when they are nearing fatigue danger levels they are often rested, there were no injury issues.

“Mauricio Pochettino is one of the most promising managers around but Tottenham’s Champions League exit shows he is still on a learning curve. 

“I’m a great admirer of Pochettino and the way his teams play but failing to qualify from a poor group is a massive disappointment. 

“You have to play your best players in the biggest games, so his decision to leave out Jan Vertonghen and Kyle Walker against Monaco was a strange one. 

“I heard someone on the radio defending Pochettino’s team selection by saying ‘they are trying to qualify for the Champions League’ but they were already in it! Trying to get back in it again next year is obviously important but you have to do everything you can to stay in it while you are there. 

“Pochettino picked a team he thought could win but they weren’t good enough. We’ve all done it. Hindsight is great. I’ve played a reserve goalkeeper when maybe I shouldn’t have done or picked the wrong players to give a chance to one or two who’ve had to wait for a game. Those are the things you regret when it backfires. 

“Spurs already looked a bit disjointed at the back without Toby Alderweireld so leaving out Vertonghen and Walker only made it worse.”

Pochttino trusts his players, he develops youngsters by showing faith in them and picking them for games. The Monaco selections were no different, he showed faith in players expecting them to reward that faith. In truth we didn't go out of the Champions League because we lost in Monaco, we went out because we were hopeless at Wembley in our home games. and that had nothing to do with team selection.