Mauricio Pochettino is a company man, that’s without doubt. That’s how he managed such an exceptionally long period as Spurs manager, and when you hear about his ability to “manage upwards” as well as down, this is what they mean.
On the day he admitted that Reece James was going to be added to his growing list of injured players, Pochettino was asked to respond to Mikel Arteta’s comments that the punishing preseason tour schedule of top teams is causing these medical problems to begin with just one Premier League game played.
As you’d expect, Pochettino smoothly avoided the chance to criticise his bosses – pointing out instead that the money he and his players were paid came from commercial revenues built up by tours like this.
It was as though we were hearing it from Clearlake themselves.
“In my case I cannot find anything to complain about that…. at the moment…” he concluded, with a twinkle in his eye.
You can see the coach speaking in the clip embedded here, with this clip coming after eleven minute:
