Tottenham Hotspur missed out on second place in 2016 after losing to Newcastle United on the final day.
Tottenham’s defeat to the Magpies allowed bitter rivals Arsenal to leapfrog them into second place on the last day of the season, something that was a severely bitter pill to swallow at the time.
The Lilywhites have since made amends for that of course, finishing 11 points clear of the Gunners in the 2016/17 Premier League campaign.
Pochettino still chose to share how much the loss to Newcastle in May 2016 affected both him and his side, however, in his new book ‘Brave New World’, as quoted by Sky Sports:
“What’s happening here has nothing to do with tactics. We aren’t battling. You aren’t yourselves on the pitch. But it was to no avail. Where was the individual commitment that gave us that special feeling of belonging to the group? I get very annoyed when I cannot find the way to motivate, to generate the passion necessary to enjoy this game.”
The Argentine then went on to share what he did in the aftermath of the disappointing loss at St James’ Park:
“I got in the car and headed home. The first thing that I did when I got there was open a bottle of wine and stuff myself with unhealthy food. I think I let my frustration out on myself. I ate the lot: crisps, snacks… If we had pizza, some of that as well. No salad.”
Read here: Please shut up – Spurs legend hated fans singing his name
Pochettino deserves great credit for the manner in which he managed to galvanise his Tottenham side in the summer of 2016, however.
It would have been easy for them to let the disappointment of the Newcastle game affect their performances at the start of the following campaign, but alas, that was far from the case.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
