Potential problems at Spurs between Aurier and ‘ruthless’ Pochettino?

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Mauricio Pochettino has been described as “ruthless” by Harry Kane so how will he deal with Serge Aurier and his bad boy reputation?

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino embraces Harry Kane as he leaves the field.

In February, Harry Kane described Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino as “ruthless” during an interview with ESPN, explaining that players that crossed him would feel his wrath regardless of reputation.

“He’s got two sides to him,” said Kane. “He’s very respectful – if you respect him, he’ll show you respect back. If you work hard for him, he’ll give you his time. But he’s ruthless if you cross him. If you don’t want to work for him and you don’t want to be a team player, you won’t be part of the team.”

(L-R) Mauricio Pochettino, manager of Tottenham Hotspur, speaks with Kyle Walker during training.

A recent example of this ruthless streak was seen with Kyle Walker, with the Independent reporting in May that there had been an argument between the right-back and Pochettino about the Englishman’s playing time.

The Spurs boss had doubts over Walker’s performances in training and chose Kieran Tripper ahead of him for three crucial Champions League matches and also the FA Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea. The defender voiced his displeasure and he was phased out of the team towards the end of last season before leaving for Manchester City over the summer.

His public persona is mild-mannered and calm, but just as in his playing days, Pochettino is clearly not someone to be messed with.

Serge Aurier reacts after a goal during the French Cup final football match between Paris Saint-Germain and Angers.

Which begs the question of how the Argentine will deal with the man signed to replace Walker – Serge Aurier, a £23m addition from Paris Saint-Germain (BBC)?

Aurier was never too far from controversy during his three years in the French capital, with the Daily Mail reporting in 2016 of alleged homophobic slurs towards then manager Laurent Blanc and teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic during an online interview, as well as criticising the playing abilities of several other PSG players.

As the Independent outlines there were even doubts over whether the 24-year-old would get a work permit to complete his move to Tottenham due to a criminal conviction for assaulting a police officer in September 2016.

In fairness to Aurier, he recognises his own flaws and has publicly pledged to his new club that they will see “the real Serge Aurier”.

“This is a huge and exciting opportunity at a massive football club and I am determined to prove myself as a professional both on and off the pitch,” the Ivory Coast international told the club’s official website.

“This is a fresh start for me and I will do everything to make the Spurs fanbase, which is huge and diverse, proud of me. The fans are the most important people at any club and I am looking forward to showing them and everyone at Spurs the real Serge Aurier.”

Everyone deserves a second chance, but if Aurier were to show a lack of discipline again then Pochettino is likely to be less forgiving than most.