Pochettino Plans to Get Tottenham Acclimated for Wembley

In order to adjust for Wembley Stadium’s pitch, Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino is preparing to create a replica at Spurs’ training facility.

With Tottenham set to make their return to the Champions League group stage this upcoming season, Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino is making plans to get his squad ready to play on Wembley’s pitch by recreating it at their state-of-the-art training facility in Enfield.

According to Matt Law of the Telegraph, Tottenham will consider recreating Wembley’s pitch to help acclimate themselves ahead of the Champions League in September.

Creating a replica version of Wembley’s pitch is one option (more on this below). Of course the other is to actually train on-site, which Tottenham will actually have the opportunity to do so.

But juggling training sessions at Enfield and at Wembley will be time consuming and eventually draining once the season is underway.

So it’s only natural for Spurs to create their own pitch to save time and constant back and forth travel in-between midweek games. With four first team pitches at their training center, it should only be a matter of time until Pochettino can have one suited for his squad that meets his requirements.

LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 17: A general view inside the stadium prior to the UEFA Europa League round of 16, second leg match between Tottenham Hotspur and Borussia Dortmund at White Hart Lane on March 17, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Tom Dulat/Getty Images) /

Because of White Hart Lane’s dimensions — compared to the rest of the Premier League — it stands as the smallest in the top flight division. Something that apparently Mauricio Pochettino has complained about in the past, per Matt Law.

In any event, White Hart Lane measures in at 100 meters long and 67 meters wide. Whereas, Wembley is five meters longer and two meters wider (105m x 69m). Adding extra meters both long and wide on one of Spurs’ training pitch shouldn’t be too much of a problem as they’re not far off the mark.

Having a replica pitch will have Tottenham used to the playing surface before the Champions League rolls around. But there’s more to Pochettino’s plans in having his squad acclimated to Wembley.

More from Hotspur HQ

Another way to get an advantage over their opponents, no matter how small it might seem, is to travel from their Enfield training facility to Wembley’s private lodge and sleeping between double training sessions. Once it’s been opened of course.

Doing this, sleeping at the private lodge, is to get the players used to spending time at Wembley and out of their comfort zone. Put another way, Wembley will be their temporary home during the 2017-18 season so it’s best to start early with these preparations than wait.

Here’s Matt Law on the private lodge that Mauricio Pochettino and company will be using once it’s completed.

“Work has started on the 45-bedroom lodge and Pochettino sees his players sleeping there following a morning session and lunch, ahead of an afternoon training routine.”

“The Spurs players currently have a recreational area at the training base where they can rest on chairs and sofas, but do not have beds and private rooms to sleep properly in.”

“Pochettino’s plan will have to wait a while longer, however, as the lodge is unlikely to be completed in time for the start of next season.”

Next: What to Expect Ahead of Tottenham's Move to Wembley

Arsenal have used Wembley Stadium before when they would host Champions League matches and according to Arsène Wenger, he described it as a “nightmare” after only playing their for two seasons.

Of course, a part of Arsenal’s unfamiliarity with Wembley stemmed from trying to make it feel like home when it wasn’t. Which will always be hard when teams are playing away from their ground in general.

Secondly, perhaps Wenger didn’t take extra steps that Mauricio Pochettino is taking now to ensure any kind of advantage that he can get. It remains to be seen if Tottenham’s plans right now will make a difference come September, but it’s good that they’re taking some precautionary measures before venturing into the unknown.

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