Mauricio Pochettino - Is He Overachieving?

[Dave]

Mauricio Pochettino has delivered Champions League football for Tottenham yet again. Is he overachieving or is this what should be expected given the quality of the Spurs squad? 

[6666]

The media were talking about them challenging for the title at the start of the season, now they're saying "hey it's Tottenham, they've done brilliantly to get top 4". Basically the opposite of what we went through where they'd predict us to drop out the top 4 and then criticise us for finishing better than they expected but still not winning the league...

If we can get criticised for finishing top 4 while having to sell our best players and trying to avoid any significant net spend then this Tottenham side full of supposedly world class talent finishing top 4 definitely isn't a case of overachieving especially as they've made top 4 because both Chelsea and Arsenal have been wildly inconsistent.

[LFCMike]

37 minutes ago, 6666 said:

The media were talking about them challenging for the title at the start of the season, now they're saying "hey it's Tottenham, they've done brilliantly to get top 4". Basically the opposite of what we went through where they'd predict us to drop out the top 4 and then criticise us for finishing better than they expected but still not winning the league...

If we can get criticised for finishing top 4 while having to sell our best players and trying to avoid any significant net spend then this Tottenham side full of supposedly world class talent finishing top 4 definitely isn't a case of overachieving especially as they've made top 4 because both Chelsea and Arsenal have been wildly inconsistent.

If Spurs are still just finishing top four and losing in the last 16 of the Champions League every season in a few years I'm sure they'll be rightly criticised. 

[Harry]

Not overacheiving at all. Any of the current top six finishing in the top 4 is not an overacheivement. But like us spurs probably haven't finished top 4 consistently enough for long enough that its now the expectation.

 

[SirBalon]

There’s no overachieving or underachieving. He’s doing well! It doesn’t always have to be the case where we measure by extremes. He has stabilised Spurs and they no longer yo-yo in the table. From now though he should be analysed by competing to win trophies. 

[Dan+]

I think he is when you look at their wage bill compared to everyone else's.

But it's also a bit of a concern that they seem to get into very good positions yet not see the job through. They don't really have enough to show for how good a side they've been.

[Dr. Gonzo]

On paper I think they've got one of the best 4 sides in the country. I don't think they're overachieving in that regard.

I feel with their wage budget @Dan mentioned, they may struggle to remain competitive and keep the side together in the future. But they have a good side, play good football, and are developing into a club that can reasonably expect CL qualification. I don't think they're overachieving, I think they're making good progress to long term goals.

[Cicero]

If we are going by that then Poch is a great technical director. Not a manager 

[The Artful Dodger]

I'd say he's doing a very good job, not really overachieving as I'd say they're an established top 4 side now. Outperforming clubs who spend massively more like Chelsea and Arsenal. I'd say Tottenham need to be careful to match Pocchetino's ambitions though, top 4 may be good for the balance but he'll be aiming for more.

[Cicero]

18 minutes ago, The Artful Dodger said:

 Outperforming clubs who spend massively more like Chelsea and Arsenal.

Have they? Even at our worst, we still manage to win silverware. Arsenal last season and potentially us this season. 

[The Artful Dodger]

3 minutes ago, Cicero said:

Have they? Even at our worst, we still manage to win silverware. Arsenal last season and potentially us this season. 

In terms of the league. The cups are mickey mouse now, sadly.

[Honey Honey]

This season will be judged on what happens next season. They've gone backwards a little and whether it is great to be top 4 or if it is the beginning of the end will all be determined by what happens next. 

 

[Danny]

They're doing consistently well but other clubs underachieving makes it seem like they're over achieving.

Finishing above Chelsea and Arsenal for example, both have clearly underperformed in the league but if they get their act together they'll probably outperform Spurs next season. That's if they get their act together and use their financial advantage properly over Spurs.

They'd have to win something to overachieve in my opinion.

 

[Spike]

9 hours ago, The Artful Dodger said:

In terms of the league. The cups are mickey mouse now, sadly.

Is it just a fan perception, or is it the club themselves? I still enjoy the FA Cup, quite a lot. I pretend the other one doesn't exist.

[True Blue]

Done okay for Spurs, but overachieving? Ranieri was overachieving when he delivered the title.

[Danny]

Also, where would they be without Harry Kane? Obviously takes a good eye to trust an academy talent but they've hardly gone out and paired him with someone of similar ability.

Like I said they've done a good job on a tight budget but that's about it. Consistent top four finishes won't be deemed a success, think they should treat the FA Cup with more respect as it may give them a boost they need.

[Marc]

Tim Sherwood made Kane and gave him the opportunity.

[Smiley Culture]

14 minutes ago, Marc said:

Tim Sherwood made Kane and gave him the opportunity.

Sherwood managed Kane for 6 months. That season Kane played 19 games for Spurs and scored four goals. 

Pochettino come in that summer and Kane played 51 games that season, scoring 31. 

Not sure how much of an influence you can say Sherwood had on him as a first team manager. Sherwood would have been the one who sanctioned his loan spells away from Tottenham, I reckon. 

[Danny]

1 hour ago, Marc said:

Tim Sherwood made Kane and gave him the opportunity.

Kane's goal gave Pochettino a lifeline and Kane was also only mainly playing in the League Cup and Europa League.

Tim Sherwood made Kane 😂😂😂😂

[6666]

23 hours ago, LFCMike said:

If Spurs are still just finishing top four and losing in the last 16 of the Champions League every season in a few years I'm sure they'll be rightly criticised. 

Finishing in the top 4 when you're not expected to finish in the top 4 would be a case of "overachieving". Just about making the top 4 when you're expected to put up a title challenge isn't "overachieving". It's not difficult to understand.

What's considered an achievement is down to what's expected from that squad of players and their manager. We had a squad of misfits and a shoe string budget for around 10 years, getting top 4 with that is an achievement. As far as this Tottenham squad go, they're supposedly great (which of course was still being said when they were finishing below our shoe string squad) and at best are doing the minimum of what's expected of them. Overachieving? 

[SirBalon]

By that reckoning, Arsenal made Kane because we got him up and running in the world of professional club football. 

[LFCMike]

6 minutes ago, 6666 said:

Finishing in the top 4 when you're not expected to finish in the top 4 would be a case of "overachieving". Just about making the top 4 when you're expected to put up a title challenge isn't "overachieving". It's not difficult to understand.

What's considered an achievement is down to what's expected from that squad of players and their manager. We had a squad of misfits and a shoe string budget for around 10 years, getting top 4 with that is an achievement. As far as this Tottenham squad go, they're supposedly great (which of course was still being said when they were finishing below our shoe string squad) and at best are doing the minimum of what's expected of them. Overachieving? 

Who was expecting them to put up a title challenge this year? I don't think they're necessarily overachieving. Top four is always going to be a close run thing these days with the strength of the top 6 (or 5 this season). I think they're doing quite well to establish themselves as a Champions League regular but more will be expected of them in the coming years in terms of the league and their showing in the Champions League.

[SirBalon]

3 minutes ago, LFCMike said:

Who was expecting them to put up a title challenge this year? I don't think they're necessarily overachieving. Top four is always going to be a close run thing these days with the strength of the top 6 (or 5 this season). I think they're doing quite well to establish themselves as a Champions League regular but more will be expected of them in the coming years in terms of the league and their showing in the Champions League.

Well you could easily say Spurs put up a title challenge two seasons ago when Leicester City won it.  So mounting another one wouldn't have been unusual.

[LFCMike]

1 minute ago, SirBalon said:

Well you could easily say Spurs put up a title challenge two seasons ago when Leicester City won it.  So mounting another one wouldn't have been unusual.

They did, but this season? I seem to remember Storts in a nark that everyone was writing Spurs off at the start of the season.

[SirBalon]

1 minute ago, LFCMike said:

They did, but this season? I seem to remember Storts in a nark that everyone was writing Spurs off at the start of the season.

I did expect a title challenge because you expect at least a maintanance of improvement or better at least. But the bare minimum for them now is qualification for the Champions League (top 4) and winning a trophy in the next 2 years.  Otherwise we can call this stagnation and mediocrity.