George Graham has hailed Mauricio Pochettino for transforming the fortunes of Tottenham and developing them into an excellent all-round side.
The former Spurs and Arsenal manager, 72, revealed he is a massive fan of the Argentine and the team he has created at White Hart Lane.
Graham puts Tottenham’s transformation into a vibrant and exciting side that neutrals want to see down to the influence of manager Pochettino, who has an equal emphasis on coaching his players to attack and defend.
“The trouble is we have very poor defences now, Graham said, in an interview with the Guardian. “There are few clubs in England that are good going forward in possession and good at defending. But I like Tottenham.
“They’ve got the best defence in the league. And I really rate [Mauricio] Pochettino. He’s quality and I like the way he goes about his business. He doesn’t go over the top because the club is more important than him. I love their intensity at Tottenham.”
Spurs are third in the Premier League at the end of a memorable week in which they secured a historic win over Champions League holders Real Madrid to qualify for the knockout stages with two games remaining.
OPINION
Spurs fans will appreciate the praise of Pochettino from Graham. The manager spent three years in charge at Tottenham and steered the club to a League Cup triumph but he had his best years as a boss at Arsenal. Despite the enmity between the two clubs, Graham’s opinion will be respected by the White Hart Lane faithful, who recognise the two-times title winning manager knows his onions. Spurs are a special side, and can achieve great things if they hang on to their managerial maestro. It is a sign of the Argentine’s influence that chairman Daniel Levy wants to tie him down to a 15-year contract. Hang on to Poch and you sense the world is the oyster of this potentially brilliant team.