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Mauricio Pochettino “proud” of Tottenham Hotspur players

By Zaph Hutson

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 10: Mauricio Pochettino, Manager of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates victory with Heung-Min Son and Juan Foyth of Tottenham Hotspur after the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur at Selhurst Park on November 10, 2018 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 10: Mauricio Pochettino, Manager of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates victory with Heung-Min Son and Juan Foyth of Tottenham Hotspur after the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur at Selhurst Park on November 10, 2018 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) /
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On Wednesday, Tottenham Hotspur enjoyed a 3-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League. While many supporters and commentators were praising Pochettino, he redirected this praise to the players.

To be fair, it is easy to give Pochettino a lot of credit for the crucial win. Both Harry Kane and Dele Alli were out, two of Tottenham’s best players. Also, he made some unorthodox decisions that paid off in the end.

He repositioned Jan Vertonghen from center back to wing back and this turned out to be highly effective. There were also only five players not designated as ‘defenders’. This may have made it seem like Spurs were settling in for a draw or a low-scoring game, but this was not the case. It was a blowout.

Pochettino should perhaps be given more credit than anyone for this victory. However, when speaking after the match, he was full of praise for the players, humbly taking the spotlight off of himself.

He said “For me, the players deserve all the credit because they were fantastic”. According to him, it’s not the chosen formation or repositioning of players that should get recognition. It is how the men who took the field performed.

Pochettino also said he feels “so proud” of the team and called his men “heroes”. Tottenham‘s players certainly played like heroes in a big Round of 16 Champions League match, scoring 3 times and keeping a clean sheet.

LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 13: Jan Vertonghen of Tottenham celebrates scoring to make it 2-0 during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 First Leg match between Tottenham Hotspur and Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium on February 13, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 13: Jan Vertonghen of Tottenham celebrates scoring to make it 2-0 during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 First Leg match between Tottenham Hotspur and Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium on February 13, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) /

Players like Heung-Min Son and Jan Vertonghen have stepped into their new roles seamlessly after major problems. They worked well with Christian Eriksen as he did the same thing he always does- being the best supportive player on the field. Looking back, the young BVB squad didn’t stand a chance.

However, we can’t only look back. We must look forward to the second and final leg of this round. Pochettino certainly is. He said “It’s only the first leg… there is still a lot of work to do”. Tottenham will likely go up against a stronger BVB side in the next match with Marco Reus and Paco Alcacer potentially making their returns.

Pochettino has shown that he refused to bask in glory and that he is always preparing for the next contest.

Next. Spurs frontrunners to sign Perisic. dark

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