Neil Humphreys: Pochettino faces three big games that could define Spurs' season
Argentinian has three key games to prove Spurs belong in big time
| TOTTENHAM | LIVERPOOL |
Jose Mourinho plays the pantomime villain. Juergen Klopp entertains as resident cheerleader and Pep Guardiola is the Renaissance man.
But the quiet revolutionary has lurked in the shadows.
So far this season, he's slipped beneath the radar.
Liverpool's clownish defending, Manchester City's exhilarating football and United's cure for insomnia have all directed attention away from the soft-spoken rebel with a cause.
And then, Tottenham Hotspur pinched a point at the Bernabeu and the spotlight dazzled Mauricio Pochettino.
The anarchic Argentinian believes that the 1-1 draw at Real Madrid showed that Spurs could play with the big boys. In Tottenham's upcoming games, he must prove it.
Liverpool head to Wembley tomorrow. Then Tottenham take a trip to Manchester United's theatre of dozing before hosting Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Three pivotal fixtures could define a season. Liverpool, United and Real offer three unique tests to measure Tottenham's trophy credentials.
The Scousers' scurrying on the counter-attack, the Red Devils' slow death by suffocation and the Spanish side's midfield mastery should set an accurate gauge for Pochettino's progress.
Perform well in all three and a title challenge must be taken seriously. Plod around in all three and Tottenham's reputation for "nearly men" will only be solidified further, a club ruined by a runners-up psyche.
For this reason, perhaps, Liverpool at Wembley represents a greater obstacle than Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.
Apart from Spurs' ongoing struggles to feel at home in a vast, alien environment, they just can't beat Liverpool.
Spurs haven't tasted league victory against the Merseysiders since November 2012 - across 10 meetings. They failed to win at home just twice last season - one of those matches was against Liverpool.
More specifically, Pochettino hasn't prevailed in any of his three home matches against the Reds, a remarkable statistic for a manager who lives within the game's fine margins.
His studious attention to detail, his insistence that the slightest gains should be sought in every fixture, are the hallmarks of his rapid rise in club management.
Against Real Madrid, he sent out a startling line-up that confounded everyone - including Zinedine Zidane.
Harry Winks, still only 21, took charge of a central midfield that included Luka Modric and Casemiro. Jan Vertonghen was thrown in as a left-sided wing-back and Eric Dier played in the middle of a back three.
Most bizarrely of all, Fernando Llorente made only his second start of the season, leading the line with Harry Kane.
To the sceptic, Pochettino's line-up was a suicidal risk that got lucky against below-par opponents. But the Argentinian believes in the fine margins of tactical analysis, rather than blind luck.
Llorente pestered Raphael Varane so Kane could go to work on Sergio Ramos. Vertonghen took care of Real rookie Achraf Hakimi and Dier handled the ponderous Karim Benzema.
Pochettino was without Ben Davies, Victor Wanyama, Mousa Dembele and Dele Alli, so he came up with an alternative plan and took the game to Real. He appears to delight in his selection headaches, like a mathematician being presented with a particularly challenging puzzle to solve.
Now he must do the same again not once but three times in less than a fortnight. Liverpool, United and Real can effectively make or break Tottenham's season.
Drop too many points and Manchester City should canter to the title, leaving Pochettino's men looking like the forgotten bridesmaids once more.
And on a personal level, Klopp is proving to be a bit of a thorn in the Argentinian's side, gleefully exploiting the space in Tottenham's counter-attacking game.
Liverpool's excellent track record with top-six sides, as opposed to their dodgy form against the likes of Burnley, has been well-documented. Klopp loves quality over quantity, happy to face gifted, positive teams rather than 11 parked buses.
So Pochettino requires a different angle. As he did against Real, he needs another tactical tangent to confuse Klopp and end that winless run against the Reds.
Sadio Mane's absence helps. Liverpool's shaky back four helps even more.
But if Tottenham are really going to triumph, then Pochettino's devilish streak at the whiteboard is required.
A little tactical anarchy went a long way against Real Madrid.
As the most important fortnight of their season begins, Spurs must call upon their revolutionary to wreak havoc at Wembley.
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