Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino opens up on his formation v Real Madrid.
Mauricio Pochettino has told The Guardian that some people “close to him” questioned his Tottenham Hotspur XI in Tuesday’s clash at Real Madrid.
Spurs left the Santiago Bernabeu with a hard-fought 1-1 draw to reaffirm the idea that Pochettino’s side are indeed the real deal and a force to be reckoned with.
The Argentine tactician elected for a 5-3-2 system which saw Eric Dier drop into central defence alongside Davinson Sanchez and Toby Alderweireld, with Jan Vertonghen deployed at left-back for the second time in a week.
It was an odd move by Pochettino but you can’t doubt its effectiveness after Tottenham held the reigning European champions on their own patch.
And the former Southampton boss admits his own people did not see it coming.
Asked if Tottenham fans could expect further surprise formations, Pochettino said to The Guardian: “Maybe. It was amazing because some people close to us said: ‘When we saw the starting XI [against Real Madrid] we thought what the eff? What is going on in his mind?’ And then at the end of the game they say: ‘Oh, you are a genius.’
The Lilywhites host Liverpool at Wembley tomorrow.
Pochettino’s side picked up their first home win of the Premier League season by beating Bournemouth last weekend, though it was only a 1-0 victory following a rather uninspired performance from the hosts.
And they will need to do a lot better than that day for Liverpool.
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