Opinion: The return of Pochettino is a gamble but a worthwhile one

It has been a whirlwind 18 months for Tottenham Hotspur supporters, from hiring and sacking Jose Mourinho, seeing the return of club hero Gareth Bale, to now playing in UEFA’s new third tier of European football.

But it doesn’t look as though it will stop there. Just 18 months since Mauricio Pochettino was sacked, the Argentine is in talks with Spurs about a sensational return to North London, according to Football London, and reports suggest that he wants to come back.

When he departed in November 2019, nearly every Spurs supporter knew that Pochettino would return one day to finish what he started, but none could imagine this soon, just under two years.

And although I would personally love to see the Argentine back in the dugout for the Lilywhites, it just feels too soon and a massive gamble for Daniel Levy, especially when Antonio Conte is available.

Despite getting Spurs to a Champions League final in 2019, Pochettino was rightfully sacked due to a dreadful run of form, including no away win in 10 months and being embarrassed by Bayern Munich in the Champions League

After five years together, a break was required. Pochettino needed the opportunity to go somewhere else and win trophies, while Spurs brought in one of the most decorated managers in history for a short term fix.

Although the Argentine manager added one or two trophies to his collection, albeit the same status as the Carabao Cup, he couldn’t lead PSG to their eighth Ligue 1 title in eight years and was knocked out in the Champions League semi-final against Manchester City.

As for Spurs, well, everyone knows what happened there. But having Pochettino feels like a sentimental appointment, one of the reasons the club have failed to progress throughout the years, and the Argentine will need full backing from Daniel Levy in his second stint if he is to return.

The majority of players that got Pochettino sacked in the first place are still here, and as mentioned before his departure, the club is in drastic need of a rebuild.

So, unless Levy promises a hefty transfer budget this summer, I just can’t see why Pochettino will want to return, yet, if there’s one manager to lead our rebuild, it’s Pochettino. He knows the squad, the deadwood that needs to be moved on and maintains a fantastic relationship with Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son.

Also, Pochettino was the manager that brought in Giovanni Lo Celso, Tanguy Ndombele and Ryan Sessegnon, who have all failed to live up to their expectations so far, but the Argentine could be the perfect candidate to rejuvenate them.

Off the pitch, it shows that Levy has admitted to his mistake finding a short-term fix to avoid a massive overhaul within the squad, indicating that Levy has acknowledged that several players need to sold and a host of new faces are required.

Plus, after the past season for Spurs supporters, finishing eighth and taking part in the fallen European Super League, many supporters have never felt so distant from the club.

So, Levy will need someone that can re-connect the fans with the club again and be proud, and only one man can do that at this moment in time, Pochettino.

He’s adored by many, and re-signing the Argentine will undoubtedly change the mood around Spurs over the summer.

If Levy is admitting defeat and acknowledges his mistake that this team needs a rebuild, then Pochettino should be the leading candidate to take the club forward, but only if he’s given the funds to do so.

But if it’s the exact situation as before, where Levy fails to back the manager and the players turn on Pochettino, it could go drastically wrong, and his legacy at Spurs could be ruined.

At this moment, my heart is saying Pochettino but my head is saying Conte, and I think I can speak for most Spurs supporters.

What’s key in the decision is whether Levy is willing to give the next manager to start the rebuild and get rid of the deadwood that’s wreaking havoc within the squad.

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