Tottenham Hotspur manager, Mauricio Pochettino has apologised to Manchester United over the tough tackles from his team during Thursday’s International Champions Cup game.
Angel Gomes hit a late winner for United after Lucas Moura’s deflected shot cancelled out Anthony Martial’s opener in China.
Eric Bailly hurt his knee trying to block a shot from Son Heung-min while Moussa Sissoko appeared to stamp on United’s new winger, Daniel James, in the first half.
And Pochettino acknowledged his side were perhaps overly aggressive in their 2-1 defeat.
“I was a little bit annoyed about some situations, I was not happy.
“It was a friendly game and in some situations of course when you are tired, when it’s so hot you are not right with the tempo to arrive at the actions, sometimes you arrive late and something can happen.
“I apologise on behalf of our players to Manchester United,” he told reporters.
Pochettino added: “It wasn’t their intention, but sometimes when you are tired you arrive late and some things can happen.
“And I was worried because in this period of preparation it is sometimes you need to be aggressive and you need to play with passion but sometimes the focus is to build your fitness and develop the way you want to play.
“Of course I was worried, Manchester United, Eric Bailly got injured and I am sorry for that but he was alone.
“And always when the players start to build their fitness and start to fight for their place in the team, when something happens in the pre-season it’s always tough and I was a little bit worried, but in the second half the game was a bit more relaxed.”
Tag: Mauricio Pochettino
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Spurs manager, Pochettino apologises to Man Utd
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That’s why we love football, says Pochettino after City win
Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino hailed his team as “heroes” after Wednesday’s astonishing Champions League quarter-final with Manchester City.
The match ended in an away goals win for his team after ending 4-4 on aggregate.
The 4-3 win on the night for Manchester City was so nearly 5-3 — and progress to the last four for City — but Raheem Sterling’s stoppage time effort was ruled out by a VAR review.
It correctly spotted Sergio Aguero off-side.
“It was unbelievable – the way it finished,” said Pochettino.
“I am so happy, so proud. My players are heroes to be here. I am so happy for them, so happy for the fans,” added the Argentine.
Pochettino said he had gone through a wild mix of emotions during the final moments as four words flashed up on the big screen – “No goal, VAR, offiside” – confirmed that Sterling’s goal had been over-turned.
“In a moment many things happened in your head, the disappointment was massive but they changed the decision,” he added.
“That is why we love football. Today we showed great character and great personality it was an unbelievable game.”
Spurs midfielder Christian Eriksen, who gave the ball away in the build-up to Sterling’s disallowed goal, did not disguise his relief.
“I must be one of the luckiest guys on the planet tonight. I thought it was all over but it was a fun game.
“It was a rollercoaster, we gave them a lot but also got a lot. It was a weird game,” he said.
Tottenham’s South Korean forward Son Heung-min, whose two strikes were part of the four goals scored in the opening 11 minutes, said it was an unforgettable game.
“I have never seen something like this. It was tough and crazy but we are very proud of our team mates. It was madness,” he said.“Sometimes you are annoyed with VAR but today it is thank you. We fought together for 90 minutes. We showed unbelievable character and fight.”
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Kane could be out for rest of season – Pochettino
Tottenham striker Harry Kane could miss the rest of the season with an ankle injury, says manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Kane, 25, will have an MRI scan on Wednesday after hobbling off during Tuesday’s 1-0 win over Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.
The England captain was seen leaving the stadium on crutches, with a protective boot on his left ankle.
“It’s a worry for us,” said Pochettino.
“We are going to miss him – maybe for the rest of the season. We hope it is not a big issue but there is not to much time to recover. He twisted his ankle so we will see how it reacts in a few hours.”
Kane had slipped as he tried to block Fabian Delph’s clearance on the right touchline in the second half and was substituted immediately.
He was ruled out for almost two months in January when he damaged ligaments in the same ankle during their 1-0 Premier League home defeat by Manchester United.
In addition, he missed a month of last season with a similar injury to the right ankle, and endured separate absences of six and four weeks during the 2016-17 campaign.
“We need to check but it looks like it is the same ankle and similar injury,” said Pochettino. “It is very sad and very disappointing.”
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UCL: Man City clash biggest game of my life – Pochettino
Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has said his team Champions League quarter-final tie against Manchester City will be one of the most important matches in his career.
City head to north London on Tuesday for the first European match at Tottenham’s new 62,000-seater stadium, with Pep Guardiola’s side continuing their bid to win four trophies this season.
Having seen their own Premier League title ambitions fade last month, Tottenham’s hopes of winning silverware this season now rest on getting past the league champions and into a first Champions League semi-final in the club’s history.
When asked if Tuesday’s game was going to be the biggest of his life, Pochettino said: “Yes. This is going to be one of the most important games.
“For us, it is a bonus to play in the quarter-finals. We are going to try to beat them. The objective is to be in the semi-finals but it is going to be tough because Manchester City are a very good team and we respect them.”
Asked if City can complete a historic quadruple, Pochettino added: “In the last few years Manchester City are building to try and win everything. They have a very good squad and one of the best managers in the world. If one team can do it, it is Manchester City.
“We want to start tomorrow being very aggressive and try to dominate. We have had time to prepare for the game.
“It is our second game in our new stadium and the first in the Champions League so we hope the atmosphere is amazing and tough for our opponent.
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EPL: Tottenham will make Champions League – Pochettino
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has “no doubt” his team will be in the Champions League next season.
Spurs could drop out of the top four on Tuesday after losing four of their past five Premier League fixtures.
They host Crystal Palace in the first match at their new £1bn stadium on Wednesday in search of their first league victory since 10 February.
“We have seven games left, five here, and that has to give us a boost,” Pochettino insisted.
Spurs were second in the table at the beginning of the year and have not been outside the top three since the start of December.
Despite their disappointing league form, they remain in Champions League contention this season, their third successive campaign in Europe’s elite club competition.
They are through to the quarter-finals for the first time since 2011 and the first leg against Manchester City takes place at the new stadium on 9 April.
“The best stadium in the world must play in the Champions League,” Pochettino told a news conference before the key encounter with Palace.
“It will be a shame not to be in the next Champions League. We are going to fight. I have no doubt we will be in the Champions League next season.
“It’s in our hands; it’s an exciting moment for us.”
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EPL: Van Dijk worth his £75m transfer fee – Pochettino
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino says Liverpool have been proven right in their decision to spend a record-breaking £75m on Virgil van Dijk.
Liverpool broke the world-record fee for a defender when they agreed a deal to sign the Dutchman from Southampton in January last year, with Van Dijk proving to be indispensable at the heart of Jurgen Klopp’s side ever since.
“When a team like Liverpool need to improve their team in a certain area, people said it was crazy to pay £70m for a centre-back,” Pochettino said.
“But Liverpool were right. They picked Van Dijk, because at that moment they believed he was the best centre-back in England who could make them better, and they were right.
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Tottenham coach Pochettino hit with touchline ban
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has been given a two-match touchline ban and fined £10,000 by the Football Association for angrily confronting referee Mike Dean after his side’s 2-1 defeat at Burnley.
Pochettino admitted he “crossed the line” with the official and later made a public apology to Dean.
The 46-year-old accepted an FA charge of improper conduct.
“It is not the way to behave,” he said following the incident.
Dean was later moved from his fourth official duties for Spurs’ game at Chelsea the following week.
Pochettino will serve his ban in the Premier League games against former club Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium on 9 March and at Liverpool on 31 March.
The Argentine did not reveal what was he said to Dean at Turf Moor, or the reason for his strong reaction, although he had complained about a corner awarded in the build-up to Burnley’s opening goal.
Pochettino had said he was not anticipating a ban.
“A ban, why? I don’t believe that it’s going to happen. I don’t think that’s going to be fair,” he said.
“For what? It was a conversation, no? Maybe it was close but it was a conversation.
“I don’t believe it’s fair. But I’m going to accept if they ban me and I can’t be in the dugout against Southampton.”
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Abramovich to replace Sarri with Pochettino at Chelsea
Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich, has reportedly notified Maurizio Sarri his future is in jeopardy and is ready to rival Manchester United for the services of Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino, according to the UK Express.
The Blues returned to winning ways with a 5-0 win over Huddersfield on Saturday, following their 4-0 humiliation at Bournemouth.
However, Abramovich is already losing patience with Sarri, whose side are locked in a three-way battle with Arsenal and United, for the final Champions League qualifying spot.
Chelsea were reported to be interested in Pochettino last summer, before appointing Sarri to succeed Antonio Conte.
Sarri made an instant impact at Stamford Bridge, but results and performances have dipped, since he suffered the first defeat of his reign against Pochettino’s Spurs side back in November.
It would cost Abramovich around £50million in compensation, to prise the Argentine from North London and the former Southampton manager’s preference remains United.
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Carabao Cup: I don’t like VAR, says Pochettino after Chelsea win
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino said he was “unhappy to win like this” after the system awarded Harry Kane the penalty that won the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Chelsea.
The only goal of the Wembley game came from the spot after referee Michael Oliver consulted the video assistant referee to check if Kane was onside before he was fouled by goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.
The VAR camera suggested Kane was onside, but Chelsea showed a screenshot of their own system after the game that suggested he was offside.
The Premier League is set to introduce the system from next season.
“We have six months to improve the system,” Pochettino said. “There is a lot of work to do.”
Pochettino was even stronger in his criticism of the technology, despite the part it played in his side’s victory.
“I don’t like the VAR,” he said. “Today we get the benefit of it but after watching the World Cup and another league like La Liga, I see that nobody is happy from day one that they started to use it.
“To get the benefit is nice but I am unhappy to win the game like this.
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Comeback win at Bournemouth was ‘perfect response’ – Pochettino
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino hailed his side’s “perfect response” to their Champions League upset after they came from behind at Bournemouth to go third in the Premier League.
Spurs, who lost Harry Kane to a first-half ankle injury, recovered from their last-16 defeat by Juventus on Wednesday, to win convincingly through Son Heung-min’s double and Serge Aurier’s late far-post header.
Dele Alli had earlier levelled for the visitors after Junior Stanislas gave Bournemouth a seventh-minute lead.
“The answer today was perfect after Wednesday,” said the Spurs boss. “I am so pleased – the reaction was important for the team.
“They [Bournemouth] played at a high tempo which was difficult. We conceded an early goal but it was a massive three points for us.
“There is still a lot of work to do, still a lot of things can happen with eight games to go. Big sides are fighting with us to take a position in the top four.”
Bournemouth, who remain 12th, thought they had rescued a point via Callum Wilson’s 84th-minute strike but referee Mike Dean disallowed it for a shove on Spurs defender Davinson Sanchez, before the visitors scored their two late goals.
Alli gave Tottenham fans a scare when he was replaced late on, as did left-back Danny Rose, who was making his first top-flight appearance of the year, but both were fatigued rather than injured.
It was Pochettino’s 150th league win as a manager but a rare recent defeat for his counterpart Eddie Howe, whose side had been beaten just once in their past 10 league fixtures – only Tottenham losing fewer in that period.
BBC