Mauricio Pochettino held a fiery press conference after Tottenham Hotspur’s late defeat to Inter Milan.
“Why disrespect the players that aren’t on the pitch?” he told a news conference.
“You can blame me and say, ‘Gaffer, you were so so rubbish in your selection of the starting 11.’ But please don’t disrespect the players who were playing, because it’s my decision.
“Of course, Kieran Trippier, Toby Alderweireld, we have 25 players. And you believe that and sometimes you behave with your question, you ask me like I can only use 11 and the other 13 or 14 players are rubbish, are s***, I don’t know.
“Sorry, but I am so disappointed because I am a person that respects you a lot and the players. When my decision is to play with 11, you must respect my decision because I am the manager.
“You cannot disrespect. You show too much disrespect for the players who play in the position, as the players you have given me the names of now.”
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Good for Poch. I liked his post match presser, a lot!
The media can dish it out but can’t take it, and ditto those who echo media campaigns and grudges. It’s a shame that managers and coaches have to waste their time providing raw material for programmes that then set up false controversies and bogus talking-points by way of leeching off football for a living. It’s only the contractual obligation on clubs to provide pre-match and post-match interviews that provides such media with stuff that has nothing to do with any club getting on with its full-time job of preparing and competing to do as well as they can. The key relationship is between clubs, supporters and players.
I like that Poch defends his players in public. Even though some of the players do let themselves down, it’s much better for the manager to give them a bollocking in private.