‘To draw is to do’ seems to be the new motto of Tottenham Hotspur – or is it? After notching eight draws, surpassing last season’s seven draws overall, Mauricio Pochettino is being labelled the “draw specialist” by some Spurs fans. Is this nonsense or fair criticism?
Spurs’ last ten games have resulted in five wins, five draws. For most teams in the Premier League, this kind of form would be considered very good, yet some melancholy Spurs fans already doubt the possibility of Spurs getting into the top four this season. Draws have been disappointing, although, considering these five draws were against West Brom, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Swansea, perhaps the dismay lessens? Every football fan has the right to expect their team to win every game, except it simply isn’t possible. Any successful side that has won a league title has had draws, whereby a lack of clinical finishing or a lacklustre performance has caused them to drop two points. But ultimately, looking at Spurs’ whole form this season says enough; only one defeat so far really says a lot about Pochettino’s team.
Pochettino doesn’t aim to draw every game, no manager does, which is why these debasing remarks are all the more frustrating. Spurs play scintillating, attacking football as often as possible, yet naturally there will be games where things don’t click. Unlike last season, where these failures to perform led to five losses in the first 15 games, the whole team works harder with more spirit and determination. Of course, the football may suffer as a result, yet more importantly, the results aren’t so negative.
‘@Wizward no, he’s instilling a “do not lose mentality”, in most of the draws this season, we could have won with a bit of luck.’
— spurs4life (@LouJayne1882), December 6, 2015
As the above tweet suggests, Pochettino is developing a winning mentality. Draws are the result of fortune in some cases, and inconsistency in other matches. Every player at Spurs puts their all in and has a never-say-die attitude. This is the result of Pochettino’s guidance and implementation of that winning mentality, even evident in the pressing of the opposition. Nevertheless, these plans to win sometimes fails. What is it down to?
‘@Wizward no I don’t I just think he lacks options off the bench, another striker etc. due to failings of the board above him’
— Harry Charalambous⚽️ (@TransitionTHFC), December 6, 2015
>December 6, 2015
Truthfully enough, Spurs’ bench isn’t the strongest in the Premier League which is due to a few current injuries, but also, as the above tweet argues, is due to the failings of the board. Spurs have always struggled to attract strikers, whether that be Daniel Levy’s fault or just an unfortunate coincidence. Now is the best time for Levy to invest in a manager, for Pochettino seems to be the real deal.
Finally, Spurs have a manager with positive, attacking tactics that suit the players and represent the club’s notorious attacking guile perfectly. In just another game’s time, Pochettino may break the club record of 14 matches unbeaten, which would be a great achievement and a signal of future success that will undoubtedly come given investment.
Tim Sherwood was inexperienced and naïve, André Villas-Boas was too negative, but Mauricio Pochettino is the next manager to get Spurs back into the Champions League. It’s too early on to guarantee Tottenham’s walk through the Premier League’s park, yet early signs show a different Tottenham, and, as Gary Neville suggests: “There’s a team out there now that isn’t as flaky as it used to be”. Spurs have seemed to have become mentally stronger and less prone to error and collapse. However, the only real way of testing how far Spurs have really come is the achievements made by the end of the season. To draw is certainly not to be done, because Spurs have a great manager nurturing a strong set of players who are capable of beating any team in the Premier League with real attacking style.
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