Ally McCoist has been speaking to talkSPORT about Mauricio Pochettino, and he’s made a claim about the Argentine’s exit from Tottenham.
What’s the story?
Well, McCoist believe Pochettino has lost something since Spurs sacked him.
Daniel Levy pulled the trigger on the 49-year-old in November 2019, after a dismal run of form left Tottenham 14th in the Premier League.
Now, Pochettino is at Paris Saint-Germain, earning £116,750-a-week, although McCoist believes he has lost his smile.
The Scot said: “I watch Pochettino now in his interviews – and I remember we used to speak about Mourinho losing his sparkle. In interviews I’ve seen with Pochettino, I think he’s lost that glint in his eye, the smile.”
Pochettino failed to win Ligue 1 in his first season at the Parc des Princes, while also losing to Manchester City in the Champions League semi-final.
It hasn’t been straightforward for the South American by any means, and there are plenty of politics involved in Paris with Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe at the club.
Does Mauricio Pochettino miss Tottenham?
In our view, McCoist might have a point.
During the summer, Football London revealed that Tottenham were in talks to re-hire Pochettino, and he was willing to return.
It was said that he was struggling to handle the political aspect of managing PSG, when he effectively just wants to coach footballers.
In that respect, perhaps McCoist is right – Pochettino has lost his smile.
This is a man who loves football, and clearly enjoys working with players to help develop them.
Pochettino is a head coach, not a manager, and judging by Football London’s news, PSG is not a good fit for him.
Expectations are also astronomically high. If Pochettino fails to win silverware again this season, he may well lose his job.
Given the way Nuno Espirito Santo is going, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the Argentine back in north London sometime in the near future.
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