Mauricio Pochettino expects Jürgen Klopp to try to make Liverpool play at White Hart Lane this weekend in the same way as they did under Brendan Rodgers at Arsenal in August.
The Tottenham Hotspur manager has been studying Liverpool and their new manager as he prepares to host them in the German’s debut on Saturday and although it has been difficult to predict Liverpool’s approach in recent months, as they adopted a variety of styles and formations under Rodgers, Pochettino foresees Klopp encouraging his new team to play the way they did at The Emirates.
“In the last few months Liverpool have played in different ways and have changed the system until [the match against] Everton,” said Pochettino. “We’ve analysed Dortmund and the way that Klopp plays and there are similar concepts that we can take. We have some references – in the first half that Liverpool played against Arsenal at The Emirates, they played in a similar style that Dortmund played last season.”
That slick display, built on aggressive midfield pressing, was widely regarded as Liverpool’s best of the season so far, although a combination of slack finishing and superb goalkeeping by Petr Cech meant Rodgers’ side managed only a 0-0 draw.
Since Liverpool have shown they can perform the way Klopp likes, and because of Klopp’s credentials, Pochettino does not envisage the former Borussia Dortmund manager having difficulty adapting to the Premier League. Pochettino has demonstrated that managers from abroad do not necessarily need a long time to impart their ideas, the Argentinian having made an immediate impact on his first English assignment by guiding Southampton to eighth place in the Premier League in 2013.
“The players have to believe in your philosophy and your ideas – that’s the first important thing,” says Pochettino. “Then you need to know the culture, the different mentality and the different football. When you are a manager like Klopp, and you have shown the capacity to reach the Champions League final, I think you have the skill to adapt your ideas to a new culture and football.”
Pochettino also warned his players that they would have to match the spirit of Saturday’s visitors, who are likely to be fuelled by a desire to endear themselves to their new manager.
“We need the same level, the same mentality that Liverpool players will have. They will have 200% commitment and excitement. When a new manager arrives you always want to give your best. But its not a worry for me. Our mentality is to try to win the game as its three very important points for us.”
Spurs will have to cope without the striker Son Heung-min, as the £22m summer acquisition remains sidelined by a foot injury that risks keeping him out of action for three more weeks. The Korean was expected to miss about a fortnight after limping out of the 4-1 victory over Manchester City on September 26 but the club are now reluctant to put a precise date on his return or to specify the nature of his injury. “In one, two or three weeks he will be back,” says Pochettino. “But every injury is different and we will assess it day by day.”
The absence of Son, who struck three goals in five appearances since joining in August, increases the pressure on Harry Kane to rediscover his scoring form of last season. Tottenham will also have to overcome shortages in central midfield on Saturday, as Eric Dier’s suspension compounds injuries to Ryan Mason and Nabil Bentaleb. Mousa Dembélé or Toby Alderweireld will likely start alongside Dele Alli, the 19-year-old who made his England debut in last weekend’s win over Estonia.
“He didn’t disappoint,” said Pochettino, who is developing a proud record of nurturing aspiring England players, having coached nine of the past 16 players to make senior debuts for the country. He suggests that Alli could earn selection for Euro 2016. “[Alli] is still young but very mature. How he is on the pitch is the way that he is off it. He is a great boy and we are happy with the way that he has adapted to a different level and a different league. If he follows on in the same way as he has played in the last few months, maybe he’ll have the opportunity to go [to Euro 2016]. Football is about performance, it’s not about name or age.”
The Tottenham Hotspur manager has been studying Liverpool and their new manager as he prepares to host them in the German’s debut on Saturday and although it has been difficult to predict Liverpool’s approach in recent months, as they adopted a variety of styles and formations under Rodgers, Pochettino foresees Klopp encouraging his new team to play the way they did at The Emirates.
“In the last few months Liverpool have played in different ways and have changed the system until [the match against] Everton,” said Pochettino. “We’ve analysed Dortmund and the way that Klopp plays and there are similar concepts that we can take. We have some references – in the first half that Liverpool played against Arsenal at The Emirates, they played in a similar style that Dortmund played last season.”
That slick display, built on aggressive midfield pressing, was widely regarded as Liverpool’s best of the season so far, although a combination of slack finishing and superb goalkeeping by Petr Cech meant Rodgers’ side managed only a 0-0 draw.
Since Liverpool have shown they can perform the way Klopp likes, and because of Klopp’s credentials, Pochettino does not envisage the former Borussia Dortmund manager having difficulty adapting to the Premier League. Pochettino has demonstrated that managers from abroad do not necessarily need a long time to impart their ideas, the Argentinian having made an immediate impact on his first English assignment by guiding Southampton to eighth place in the Premier League in 2013.
“The players have to believe in your philosophy and your ideas – that’s the first important thing,” says Pochettino. “Then you need to know the culture, the different mentality and the different football. When you are a manager like Klopp, and you have shown the capacity to reach the Champions League final, I think you have the skill to adapt your ideas to a new culture and football.”
Pochettino also warned his players that they would have to match the spirit of Saturday’s visitors, who are likely to be fuelled by a desire to endear themselves to their new manager.
“We need the same level, the same mentality that Liverpool players will have. They will have 200% commitment and excitement. When a new manager arrives you always want to give your best. But its not a worry for me. Our mentality is to try to win the game as its three very important points for us.”
Spurs will have to cope without the striker Son Heung-min, as the £22m summer acquisition remains sidelined by a foot injury that risks keeping him out of action for three more weeks. The Korean was expected to miss about a fortnight after limping out of the 4-1 victory over Manchester City on September 26 but the club are now reluctant to put a precise date on his return or to specify the nature of his injury. “In one, two or three weeks he will be back,” says Pochettino. “But every injury is different and we will assess it day by day.”
The absence of Son, who struck three goals in five appearances since joining in August, increases the pressure on Harry Kane to rediscover his scoring form of last season. Tottenham will also have to overcome shortages in central midfield on Saturday, as Eric Dier’s suspension compounds injuries to Ryan Mason and Nabil Bentaleb. Mousa Dembélé or Toby Alderweireld will likely start alongside Dele Alli, the 19-year-old who made his England debut in last weekend’s win over Estonia.
“He didn’t disappoint,” said Pochettino, who is developing a proud record of nurturing aspiring England players, having coached nine of the past 16 players to make senior debuts for the country. He suggests that Alli could earn selection for Euro 2016. “[Alli] is still young but very mature. How he is on the pitch is the way that he is off it. He is a great boy and we are happy with the way that he has adapted to a different level and a different league. If he follows on in the same way as he has played in the last few months, maybe he’ll have the opportunity to go [to Euro 2016]. Football is about performance, it’s not about name or age.”
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