Tottenham Hotspur After 8 Games Under Mauricio Pochettino
By Aaron Coe
Spurs are off to what is tied for their best start under skipper Mauricio Pochettino. However, October and November have not always been great months for the Argentinian’s squads. What can we take from the last four seasons going into a critical stretch of games?
Spurs are 6-2 and sit in 5th place with 18 points currently. So how does this start for Tottenham Hotspur look in comparison to their previous campaigns under Mauricio Pochettino and what can we learn from those moving into an important late October early November stretch.
Pochettino’s Spurs Year 1
2014-15 was Pochettino’s first year and eight games in, things didn’t look so hot. Spurs were 3-3-2 at that point and were coming off a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Manchester United. Those 11 points had Tottenham in 8th place in the table. After winning the first two matches of the season Spurs started to sputter.
Over the next 4 games, matches 9-12, Spurs continued to struggle, winning two and losing two, sitting in 10th by the mid-November international break. That first-year squad was a mismatch for Pochettino’s system, and never went on to win more than 3 games consecutively in the season but did manage to pull off 5th.
Pochettino’s Spurs Year 2
Year two under Pooch started better than year 1. Spurs still had only 3 wins, but they also had four draws, with only 1 loss in those first eight games. Those 13 points, while two more than in year 1, again had Spurs at 8th in the table after 8 matches in 2015-16.
The ties were just beginning for Spurs and they went on to tie four of the next seven matches en-route to a 13 tie season. However, Spurs didn’t lose in the October November period in the Premier League going 2-0-2, to sit in 5th place at the November international break.
It should be noted that those draws were to Liverpool and Arsenal, with wins over Bournemouth and Villa. In some respects, Spurs took care of business in year 2. However, given both draws were at the Lane, maybe a bit more could have been expected? Regardless, by not losing again from week 1 until week 16, Spurs stayed in the hunt and did most of what they needed to over a big stretch of games.
Pochettino’s Spurs Year 3
Year three under Pochettino, 2016-17, saw Spurs get out to a strong 5-0-3 start, for 18 points, the same total this year’s Spurs sit. Those 18 points had Tottenham Hotspur at 3rd in the Premier League table and in a good position to challenge for the title.
A major advancement for a Mauricio Pochettino side that was seen across the start and continued until week 13, was a team that just didn’t lose. Building on only six defeats the prior season, the 2016-17 Spurs only lost 4 matches in league all season, their best under Pochettino.
However, as was the trend in the previous season, ties really cost Spurs a legit shot at the league, and even more specifically ties in October and November. From October 15, 2016 – November 6, 2016 Tottenham tied, West Brom, Bournemouth, Leicester, and Arsenal in the league.
Spurs fell from 3rd to 5th, a position they would not move beyond until matchday 19. In the end Spurs finished second, a distant 7 points behind Chelsea. Had Tottenham taken care of business outside the top six and tied Arsenal, the season may have finished very differently. Those six points wouldn’t have been enough to win the league but are enough to make one wonder what might have been down the stretch with an extra four or six points in hand from October and November.
Pochettino’s Spurs Year 4
Last season (2017-18) Spurs started 5-1-2, for 17 points and 3rd place in the league at this stage. Spurs came back from the October break strong beating Bournemouth and then taking Liverpool behind the woodshed. It looked like the still 3rd place Spurs were in the fight.
Then a loss to Manchester United began a stretch where Spurs went 1-3-2 from late October to early December, dropping Tottenham down to 7th. While the team righted the ship, and finished third, they really were never in the league title race after this stretch and didn’t reach and maintain top 4 status until week 28. And while nobody really challenged City last year, the squad could have done more if not for this tough stretch.
Pochettino’s Current Spurs
This brings us to the current, 2018-19, iteration of Tottenham Hotspur under Mauricio Pochettino. The 6-2-0 start has Spurs at 18 points matching the 2016-17 best start for points under Pochettino. However, this year 18 points is only good enough for 5th place in league, so there is no margin for error and a repeat of last season.
If we have learned anything from the previous versions of Spurs under Pochettino, they are entering a critical period. This team needs to take care of business outside the top six over the next month and get at least a point hosting Manchester City at Wembley.
If Spurs perform like last season they will be lucky to finish top four, but if the form is closer to what we saw in 2015-16 and 2016-17 Tottenham can stay in this race.
From one perspective Tottenham Hotspur have gotten off to a flying start with six wins from 8 matches, and only two defeats. Those 18 points are only 2 off first place in the Premier League matching the club’s best start, points wise, under Pochettino.
However, when the context widens, and you see those 18 points, while only two off the lead are also only good enough for fifth place in the league at current you realize, this season is going to be a dog fight to the end and Spurs better be ready to respond and avoid the October-November swoon.