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Tottenham Hotspur Links: Mauricio Pochettino Not Concerned with Second Half Implosion Against Newcastle

By Alexander Balano

Jul 27, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Tottenham Hotspur head coach Mauricio Pochettino speaks during an All-Star press conference at Grand Hyatt. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 27, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Tottenham Hotspur head coach Mauricio Pochettino speaks during an All-Star press conference at Grand Hyatt. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports /
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It’s another light edition of Tottenham Hotspur Links.

Today on Tottenham Hotspur Links it’s a recap of today’s loss to Newcastle at White Hart Lane. Tottenham had the game won but let it slip away. So, let’s get to the two stories that will discuss more on what happened.

First up, Mauricio Pochettino isn’t concerned following today’s loss to Newcastle. It’s not weird to see this kind of a response from Pochettino as he’s always looked following each game. And finally, Sky Sports put out five talking points following Newcastle’s win over Tottenham. But there’s only two which are worth talking about. To the links below.

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Mauricio Pochettino’s response following games is to always look ahead no matter what the results are. Don’t dwell on the past. It’s what has helped keep Tottenham focused and never overthink things; to not second guess what could have been done differently this season.

That is, until this game. Losing to Newcastle for the third consecutive time at White Hart Lane since November 10, 2013 (and the second time for Mauricio Pochettino) could only be best described as a second half implosion.

Or, just a mystery as to why the game slipped from Tottenham’s grasp. Here’s the Argentine manager talking about the game:

"“I am not concerned. Everyone was happy with the first half; it was clear we had energy to create chances and control the game, so I am not worried.”“But I want to see the game again because in the second half, the feeling was not the same. Nobody expected, after the first half, how we finished the game.”“In the second half, we started to make some easy mistakes. We lost control, gave them belief to get back in, and the chances we conceded made it easy for Newcastle.”“We need to assess and analyse the second half because it is impossible to see two halves in a different way.”"

A second defeat in the Premier League this season hasn’t changed Pochettino’s mind that Tottenham aren’t a top-four club this season. They still are, but in order to justify that connotation, Spurs have to win the games they should be winning.

“If you want to play for the top spots, the pressure is massive, but it is not about the age and I don’t think the pressure affected us,” Pochettino said. “We dominated the first 45 minutes and it was one of our better games.”

“After 16 games, this was our second defeat and we need to accept that this happens sometimes in football. We need to work hard and analyse and know why it happened.”

Sky Sports laid out five good talking points and while all of them are worth reading, there’s only a couple that will be highlighted. Those two are: a tale of two halves and Tottenham bouncing back after a loss this season.

To begin, the difference between the two halves was mostly attributed to the psyche of both clubs. In Newcastle’s case, they trailed Tottenham 1-0 last season and pulled off a 2-1 victory. Because the Toons have been down this road before, they knew what to do. It was only a matter of time before things started going their way.

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Newcastle’s confidence continued to grow as they fully believed in themselves which manager, Steve McClaren, discussed after the game:

“It was a great response at half-time from the players,” McClaren said. “I didn’t have to say anything, the players said it all: ‘It’s 1-0, we’re still in the game, let’s fight, let’s keep going’. The resilience they showed in the second half was fantastic.”

But Newcastle coming back and winning was just one-half of the puzzle. Tottenham’s dip in form was the other part. Spurs not pressing for more goals and playing it safe cost them.

Next: Tottenham Lose to Newcastle at White Hart Lane Again

Although with that all said, a loss could still benefit Spurs. Consider this, the two previous losses that Tottenham suffered in all competitions this season ended up being wins: 4-1 over Manchester City and beating AFC Bournemouth 5-1.

Is it possible to get a win at St. Mary’s Stadium against Southampton this Saturday (November 19)? Sure. But these upcoming fixtures aren’t “winnable” because that was the case these past three weeks. And Tottenham drew two and lost one. Nothing is easy in the Premier League and the Saints will be another tough test as usual.