Former Spurs boss Gerry Francis - It's a big step for Pochettino
Former England internation Gerry Francis Tottenham manager from 1994-1997 spoke to Sky Sports after the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino.
Q - How big a job is Mauricio Pochettino taking on at White Hart Lane?
A - "Well it's not the best kept secret in football was it but he did a magnificient job at Southampton, he plays the right football for Tottenham I feel for the Tottenham supporters but it's a big step.
"He's not that experienced in the Premier League. Managing Southampton and managing Tottenhan, the expectations levels of Tottenham, obviously in recent years they are looking to be in the top four, they are going to be looking to try and get into the Champions League so it is a big job and obviously it remains to be seen how he is going to do."
Q - Much has been made of Daniel Levy chopping and changing managers in recent years, Tim Sherwood didn't last very long in the last few months, it's the 10th new manager under levy since 2001. How important is it to you that Pochettino is given time, he's signed a 5-year contract?
A - "Yes it's probably a 5-year contract with a years break clause the way it goes these days. Obviously I think managers need time, it's the one thing you do need an probably the one thing you don't get in football.
"He will certainly need to be given time to adjust to the team, the players, because obviously at the moment it's a very big and good squad but they are not his players. He'll have to decide what he wants to bring in, what he wants to leave out and change but you do need time for that.
"As you say unfortunately in this game, as we've seen certainly very much this season, managers don't get a lot of time to put things right particularly in the Premier League."
Q - You've sat in that dugout, you've done the job, you know what it means to be the top man at Tottenham, you've talked about the expectations that will now be upon him, what do you feel the expectations will be for his first season at the club, will it be a top 4 finish, are those the ambitions, will it be immediate Champions League qualification?
A - "Well that's obviously what the situation has been in recent years. They've spent a lot of money to be fair to Daniel although he has had loads and loads of changes in mangers, as you say 10 since 2001 but he has spent a lot of money.
"He has supported his managers in terms of financial backing so I think even though he's got to go straight in now pre-season with his players, without his players, whatever the situation, Tottenham will be looking to try and get in that Champions League and will be looking to try to finish top 4.
"That's obviously the target so I think he will be under pressure to try and do that, at the same time to be fair to him you've got to give him at least a year to put things right and get his team in place but I certainly feel he will be under that pressure to try and get into that Champions League spot."
Q - Of course there is to sides to this coin, there is the Tottenham perspective he's their new boss but for Southampton they've now lost a manager who has done great things with them over the last 16 months or so. What do you think this could mean for them?
A - "Absolutely, people will be very disappointed, players, fans, directors alike but whoever manages to get that Southampton job what a great opportunity, what a great depth of talent they have got there still at the football club.
"Obviously whoever comes in to manage that football team will be hoping I'd imagine that they can keep a lot of those players that may well be representing England at the World Cup at Southampton so that they can utilise them next season.
"I certainly think it will be exciting for whatever manager goes in there with some of the talent they have got at Southampton at the moment."
Q - Yes they have got at the moment being the key thing. I suppose Southampton will have already read plenty of column inches and seen, heard there is a chance some of these key players could be leaving. Would those fears be exacerbated by the departure of Pochettino?
A - "I don't think they'd be helped but what's important obviously from their point of view is they get someone in really really quickly so the players and directors can identify the situation and the players they want to keep on can they keep. Will they have to sell, with the offers be such that they might have to let some players go.
"Obviously that remains to be seen right through the summer into the pre-season but certainly if I was coming in to manage Southampton with their squad of players they've got I think I'd be very pleased with what they've got there if they can actually keep hold of them. I would certainly be making an effort if I was coming in as manager to keep as many as I could."
Q - Back at Tottenham and the perspective there, new faces potentially there, are they a long way of a team and a squad that's capable of a top 4 finish?
A - "No they are not a long way off because in recent years they've done it once but they've been very very close and again this year, there was only a few points in it.
"I think what's very important is he has to sort out what he wants and how he wants to play, the players he wants as quickly as possible but they've got a decent squad that would cost hundreds of millions of pounds so another jon that on paper is a very very good job. It's a very very good club, an excellent club, a big football club and obviously what they'll be looking for, I'm certain of that, is be looking to try and get into that top 4 and that Champions League situation.
"I think the manager will be financially backed as the other managers have it's just a question of whether or not Pochettino will get the sort of time he needs to make things happen at Tottenham."
Recent Stories:
How many of the 'Summer Seven' will stay?
Chiriches will not remain in England
Ginola - £26m for scoring penalties!
Is Baldini raiding Pochettino's former club Espanyol
Mabbutt & Ardiles echo Spurs fans thoughts
The question is has Daniel Levy found the man who fits the strategy the club has, buy young, develop youth, improve players and increase their resale value if they are to depart the club. No club can hols on to every player so maximising each players value is a necessity whether fans like looking that way at things or not.
Q - How big a job is Mauricio Pochettino taking on at White Hart Lane?
A - "Well it's not the best kept secret in football was it but he did a magnificient job at Southampton, he plays the right football for Tottenham I feel for the Tottenham supporters but it's a big step.
"He's not that experienced in the Premier League. Managing Southampton and managing Tottenhan, the expectations levels of Tottenham, obviously in recent years they are looking to be in the top four, they are going to be looking to try and get into the Champions League so it is a big job and obviously it remains to be seen how he is going to do."
Q - Much has been made of Daniel Levy chopping and changing managers in recent years, Tim Sherwood didn't last very long in the last few months, it's the 10th new manager under levy since 2001. How important is it to you that Pochettino is given time, he's signed a 5-year contract?
A - "Yes it's probably a 5-year contract with a years break clause the way it goes these days. Obviously I think managers need time, it's the one thing you do need an probably the one thing you don't get in football.
"He will certainly need to be given time to adjust to the team, the players, because obviously at the moment it's a very big and good squad but they are not his players. He'll have to decide what he wants to bring in, what he wants to leave out and change but you do need time for that.
"As you say unfortunately in this game, as we've seen certainly very much this season, managers don't get a lot of time to put things right particularly in the Premier League."
Q - You've sat in that dugout, you've done the job, you know what it means to be the top man at Tottenham, you've talked about the expectations that will now be upon him, what do you feel the expectations will be for his first season at the club, will it be a top 4 finish, are those the ambitions, will it be immediate Champions League qualification?
A - "Well that's obviously what the situation has been in recent years. They've spent a lot of money to be fair to Daniel although he has had loads and loads of changes in mangers, as you say 10 since 2001 but he has spent a lot of money.
"He has supported his managers in terms of financial backing so I think even though he's got to go straight in now pre-season with his players, without his players, whatever the situation, Tottenham will be looking to try and get in that Champions League and will be looking to try to finish top 4.
"That's obviously the target so I think he will be under pressure to try and do that, at the same time to be fair to him you've got to give him at least a year to put things right and get his team in place but I certainly feel he will be under that pressure to try and get into that Champions League spot."
Q - Of course there is to sides to this coin, there is the Tottenham perspective he's their new boss but for Southampton they've now lost a manager who has done great things with them over the last 16 months or so. What do you think this could mean for them?
A - "Absolutely, people will be very disappointed, players, fans, directors alike but whoever manages to get that Southampton job what a great opportunity, what a great depth of talent they have got there still at the football club.
"Obviously whoever comes in to manage that football team will be hoping I'd imagine that they can keep a lot of those players that may well be representing England at the World Cup at Southampton so that they can utilise them next season.
"I certainly think it will be exciting for whatever manager goes in there with some of the talent they have got at Southampton at the moment."
Q - Yes they have got at the moment being the key thing. I suppose Southampton will have already read plenty of column inches and seen, heard there is a chance some of these key players could be leaving. Would those fears be exacerbated by the departure of Pochettino?
A - "I don't think they'd be helped but what's important obviously from their point of view is they get someone in really really quickly so the players and directors can identify the situation and the players they want to keep on can they keep. Will they have to sell, with the offers be such that they might have to let some players go.
"Obviously that remains to be seen right through the summer into the pre-season but certainly if I was coming in to manage Southampton with their squad of players they've got I think I'd be very pleased with what they've got there if they can actually keep hold of them. I would certainly be making an effort if I was coming in as manager to keep as many as I could."
Q - Back at Tottenham and the perspective there, new faces potentially there, are they a long way of a team and a squad that's capable of a top 4 finish?
A - "No they are not a long way off because in recent years they've done it once but they've been very very close and again this year, there was only a few points in it.
"I think what's very important is he has to sort out what he wants and how he wants to play, the players he wants as quickly as possible but they've got a decent squad that would cost hundreds of millions of pounds so another jon that on paper is a very very good job. It's a very very good club, an excellent club, a big football club and obviously what they'll be looking for, I'm certain of that, is be looking to try and get into that top 4 and that Champions League situation.
"I think the manager will be financially backed as the other managers have it's just a question of whether or not Pochettino will get the sort of time he needs to make things happen at Tottenham."
Recent Stories:
How many of the 'Summer Seven' will stay?
Chiriches will not remain in England
Ginola - £26m for scoring penalties!
Is Baldini raiding Pochettino's former club Espanyol
Mabbutt & Ardiles echo Spurs fans thoughts
The question is has Daniel Levy found the man who fits the strategy the club has, buy young, develop youth, improve players and increase their resale value if they are to depart the club. No club can hols on to every player so maximising each players value is a necessity whether fans like looking that way at things or not.
Post a Comment