Pochettino: The project in Season 3

Pochettino’s appointment at White Hart Lane was viewed for him to be the architect of the clubs future with a vision to steer us into our dreams than into the nightmare that was developing. Picking up the pieces from the ruins of failed appointments before him was never going to be a straightforward assignment. In his first season, the first bricks of the foundation was laid. The likes of Kane became the cornerstone of what we were trying to achieve by emerging from relative obscurity. In the season just gone, even our fiercest critics would concede that we were on the cusp of achieving the unthinkable. The league now awaits to observe if we can match or better last seasons efforts. The Pochettino project continues.

All our close rivals have shown their teeth in the transfer market with some boldly making very expensive acquisitions. Pochettino in Thursday’s press conference referred to some of these lavish buys as signs of alarming desperation. Money can buy top quality but it cannot buy team chemistry with it too. LVG will testify that the millions he spent did little when it came to reflecting that wealth on the pitch. The advantage we have of course over the Manchester clubs amongst others is that we have a settled team that has been well versed in their managers ideas. History clearly suggests that new teams with new managers take time to find their rhythm. We already have our rhythm matured to the tune of a manager that has already laid a strong tactical platform. If we can make a positive impact in our first few games while the other big guns hopefully find their feet, it could be just what the doctor ordered. We lost our opener last season, frustratingly drew the next three and squirmed over line in victory over Sunderland in our fifth match of the season last year. We cannot afford to do that again.

Some fans have been irritably underwhelmed with the quantity of signings so far. They must clearly not know who our chairman is. Two new signings doesn’t sound mildly intimidating when measured up against clubs that can afford the Pogba’s and Zlatan’s of this world. But this is not Fifa on the PlayStation. Our two buys thus far have been relevant to areas we were shockingly deficient in. Vincent Janssen’s clinical touch and Victor Wanyama’s powerhouse contributions will be integral in a season where Champions League commitments will surely add greater strain on the team. In the background but not too far from the fold, Winks, Edwards, CCV and Onomah present themselves as worthy options to bolster an already excellent squad. I still have a feeling the N’koudou deal will go through. Reports say he is even in a hotel in London. If Levy can find a financial solution that suits all parties, this should happen.

The above we all generally know. What is causing disparity among fans and pundits alike is what our targets/expectations should be this year and more importantly where we realistically expect to finish come the end of the season. Inversely, the second question is delicately linked to the first but in my honest opinion, we should be bold and vie to become champions of England. It would be extremely unambitious not to. If there’s anything Leicester City’s triumph taught the world it was that, ‘It’s not about the size of the dog in the fight but the size of fight in the dog’. We have been parading ourselves as top four candidates for long enough. Without making too much noise about it, Pochettino should really be rallying the boys in the dressing room to go for the title. To those that object this idea remember, ‘To dare, is to do’. If we aim for the moon and miss at least we will land among the stars. But to set your sights primarily on forth narrows your compensation if you fail, as then fifth, six or the dreaded seventh beckons.

Pochettino has even hinted at winning the league previously. If there was ever the moment to chase that dream, it was now.

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