Opinion: The huge mistake that Pochettino keeps making over and over again

When it comes to football at the highest level, I am a firm believer that teams should be picked based on form over the big names.

A player should be deserving of his spot in the starting line-up, rather than getting it by default because of performances in his past.

I can understand why Pochettino would stick with certain players as they are going through a rocky few games, confident that they will come out the other side in the near future.

However, we are now 12 matches into the new season and, for me, the manager is making the same mistakes over and over again.

Serge Aurier nearly threw the Southampton game away with his red card and then put in one of the worst performances I have ever seen against Bayern Munich.

Yet, the Ivorian was simply put back into the starting line-up this weekend against Watford while Kyle Walker-Peters and Juan Foyth sat out.

Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld have been making the same mistakes all season, yet Davinson Sanchez is the one taken off at halftime against the Hornets and Tanganga can barely get a kick.

Danny Rose is the same, seemingly having his starting spot tied down no matter what, despite Ben Davies waiting in the wings. The same can be said about Eriksen over Lamela.

I have faith in Pochettino, but after 12 matches, surely you have to start thinking that these players are not going to magically improve unless you show them that they have to fight for their spots.

At the moment, they are getting away with putting in little effort without losing their places. That has to change.

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