Mauricio Pochettino reacts to Spurs fans booing his substitution v PSV

Follow us on Google Discover

Tottenham Hotspur beat PSV Eindhoven 2-1 on Tuesday night.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino has told Football.London that he actually liked hearing fans booing his decision to substitute Lucas Moura against PSV Eindhoven.

Spurs played for the fourth time in nine days last night, as they took on PSV in a crucial clash that they simply had to win, having picked up only one point from three Champions League group stage games.

It remarkably started in torrid fashion though, as striker Luuk de Jong powered home a thumping header to put PSV in front early on, leaving Spurs to battle back from a goal down in a must-win game.

For some time, it looked like Spurs would be left to rue missed chances, as PSV stopper Jeroen Zoet kept Tottenham at bay time and time again, before Harry Kane smashed home an equaliser with 12 minutes to play.

Then, in the 89^th minute, Kane pounced again – with the aid of a host of deflections and bobbles – to make it 2-1, giving Spurs a crucial three points when it seemed that they would draw or even lose.

Pochettino made changes to try and spark a fightback, and fans booed his decision to take off the lively Moura in favour of Erik Lamela, with Fernando Llorente also coming off the bench late on.

Pochettino was asked about the fans booing his decision, and admitted that he actually liked the boos, as it was the first time they’ve done something like that during his tenure at the club – but he felt that he was proven right in the end, and batted away any suggestions that he doesn’t have a Plan B or Plan C.

“I understand, I like it because after nearly five years I think it’s the first time that they’ve been critical of me and didn’t agree with me, but in the end 2-1?” said Pochettino. “Look it’s always difficult to take decisions, of course the fans are disappointed. They want to play with nine or ten strikers when you are losing the game. But we tried to find solutions and the solution was to put Fernando Llorente on and how arrived the goal was Llorente was there for Harry Kane or to help in the one or other side with the full-backs pushing higher with Trippier. It’s to find a different way to play.”

“Sometimes people say ‘Oh, Pochettino doesn’t have a Plan B or Plan C’, but the most important thing was to have a plan, and then, like today it was good to have a different way to approach and to score goals. But I have nothing to say about the fans, I am so happy so grateful and I understand their reaction, maybe if it was me in the stand I should be the same but I am so happy, for me only I can tell the fans thank you because coming again to Wembley, supporting the team and making the effort, we cannot ask for more,” he added.