da marjack bet： This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
da brwin： Jan Vertonghen has admitted that Tottenham Hotspur’s players feel responsible for Mauricio Pochettino’s sacking, per The London Evening Standard.
What’s the word?
Pochettino was axed two weeks ago and replaced by Jose Mourinho, with the club 14th in the Premier League table.
The sacking brought to an end the Argentine’s five-year reign in charge of the club, where he oversaw two title challenges and a run to the Champions League final.
And Vertonghen admits that the majority of the squad feels at fault for Pochettino’s departure.
He said: “Our displays were not up to our standards.
“We’re all responsible. He put us on the pitch to win and we haven’t been doing that like we should, so everyone feels responsible.”
And he also credited Pochettino for changing the culture of the club.
He added: “Sometimes you’re a victim of your own success.
“He did so well and the expectations got bigger. That’s the world of football.
“It’s a business world, as well. I came here and played in the Europa League and he definitely brought this club to the next level. Not being in a top-four spot is now disappointing.”
Player power
It certainly looked as though some players had downed tools towards the end of Pochettino’s reign and it is refreshing to see Vertonghen admit that the fault lies on the pitch.
The Belgian was actually a key component of what was wrong, struggling with niggling injuries and appearing to have been robbed of a yard of pace that used to make him so difficult to beat for opposition attackers. He made six league appearances under Pochettino this term and Spurs won just two of them.
But it wasn’t just him: the likes of Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen both struggled to make their mark at the start of the 2019/20 season but the England international is now thriving under Mourinho, scoring three goals in three games, while the Dane had a match-winning impact against Olympiacos after replacing Eric Dier as a first-half substitute.
At the end of the day, the manager is only responsible for picking the team and laying out the tactics on match day and then it is over to the players to perform.
That they haven’t, as Vertonghen says, is an indictment of them rather than the manager.
At least it is out in the open now: it is the players who earned Pochettino the sack.
Meanwhile, there is one reason why Mauricio Pochettino is unlikely to manage in the Premier League again this season.