Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino has paid high compliments to two players, but their futures at the club are in doubt. At least they have their own Batistuta.
Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino is a tough manager to impress, but when he does take a liking to a player he does not hold back.
The Argentine has compared his players at times to Argentine greats, and the ones he has lauded most prominently actually find their careers at the club at risk.
Tottenham’s Maradona
Midfield ace Mousa Dembele was lauded by Pochettino just this year and his ability compared to the great Diego Maradona.
He was quoted by The Standard: “I have said before that he is a genius of football. I put him next to Maradona, Ronaldinho, Jay Jay Okocha. I think for me is one of the unbelievable talents in the history of football.”
This was just after Dembele’s superb performance in Turin against Juventus when the hype went into overdrive.
Yet earlier in the season Dembele’s future was a point of discussion as he struggled with injury, and The Mirror now report Spurs are ready to listen to offers for him, with the club unwilling to offer the 30-year-old a long-term contract at a high salary.
Pochettino’s comments seemed genuine, but if they were designed to hike his price up, it could have been a masterplan.
Tottenham’s Messi
Young talent Marcus Edwards made a big impression on Tottenham’s pre-season tour in 2016.
But Pochettino compared him to Lionel Messi and in an instant he went from Tottenham’s best kept secret to being cursed with inescapable hype.
He told SkySports: “The qualities – it’s only looks, his body and the way that he plays – remember a little bit from the beginning of Messi.”
It was hard to know whether to get excited or cringe when Pochettino made the comparison, but he could not have foreseen Edwards’ subsequent struggles.
He has made only one first team appearance – for a single minute – and recently had a nightmare loan spell on loan at Norwich City, where he played only five minutes.
Edwards’ attitude was called into question and he faces a fight to save his Tottenham career.
At least they have their Batistuta
There is one Tottenham player who is matching the hype and who they are likely to be keeping around.
Star man Harry Kane has hit over 20 Premier League goals for the third year in a row, and is pushing towards 30.
Pochettino told The Telegraph last year: “Batistuta was a killer, a strong mentality, a strong shot. You can compare but for me I put Batistuta higher, but Harry can be better. Harry is a killer, too.”
Kane is going from strength to strength and the hype is not affecting him. Spurs are lucky to have him and he is not going anywhere.
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