MAURICIO POCHETTINO last night revealed the secret of his success with Tottenham's high-flying young stars: he's the daddy!
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| Mauricio Pochettino's Spurs side have lost just once in 18 league games since the opening day |
The Spurs coach admits he looks after the club's starlets - the youngest squad in the Premier League - in exactly the same way he treats his two young sons, Sebastiano and Maurizio.
Sometimes the fatherly Pochettino gives his young players a ticking off. Other occasions will see the former hard man from Argentina in dad mode, with a tender touch to guide them in the right direction.
With Spurs fourth in the Premier League and in the knockout stages of the Europa League, their likeable boss gave a revealing insight into his dual management style.
"It is like my sons and young people," he explained. "Sometimes you need to be kind and friendly with them, like a dad.
"Sometimes they suffer a lot and are young in their mind, and some players are not mature. You listen to them and need to apply the right psychology at the right moment.
"It is all about moments. You have good and bad moments and in our job we are friendly, good and kind, but sometimes you are upset, angry and tough. It is the same in my personal family life as it is in my professional one.
"It's impossible to be kind 24 hours a day, but if you are upset for 24 hours a day there must be something wrong in your mind.
"Always I try to apply common sense, and to be tough with the people you need to be tough with and kind with the people you need to be kind with."
It is a management style which has helped Dele Alli graduate into the senior England set-up while still in his teens. And just like any decent dad, it is Pochettino's dream to see his youngsters grow up into successful men.
"It is our dream to grow with these players and to be clever, and every season add some young players to refresh the team and maintain the motivation. This is the dream," he said.
That all rather depends on whether Spurs, who are notorious for parting with their managers when the going gets tough, let Pochettino stick around. He said: "Sometimes the project does not fit with different people or the people don't fit with the project. But when you pick the right people for the delivery, it is perfect. You need to let them run it."
That is one of the reasons Pochettino is playing his part in Spurs' plans to develop their White Hart Lane home into a super stadium.
"The legacy for the future is very important," he added.
"We are involved in decisions as we are football people. We are the staff and it is good that the club uses us to take our information and opinion.
"It is important it feels like a home and it is our family. You want the best for your family in the future.
"It is like your family and house - it is our responsibility."
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