Former Tottenham fan favourite Younes Kaboul has torn into his old manager Mauricio Pochettino for the way he was treated while at the club.
The French international defender spent six years in north London over two separate spells, but found himself outcast and eventually sold from the Lilywhites at the end of the first season of the Argentine’s reign, which has continued to this day.
Speaking about his ex-boss, he commented that on the pitch he was a great tactician, but attacked him for his behaviour behind-the-scenes, insisting that he would tell a player one thing and do something else, and that he told him so, which could have led to him being dropped from the side during his final season.
He told France Football (Print Edition, Tuesday 14 August, p. 21-22+): “The one where things didn’t go well was Pochettino. On the field, nothing to say, very good manager, with a philosophy and a style of play that works.
“Personally, it’s the opposite. He’s two faced. He would say things to you and did the complete opposite behind your back. I didn’t like that, and I told him. That’s all”.
Opinion
With 141 appearances for Tottenham under his belt, it came as a real shock to see him completely axed from the side back in 2014, before he was sold off to Sunderland the following summer. However, it appears as though a clash of attitudes was the catalyst which led to the French defender’s downfall at White Hart Lane, and to be quite frank, it has not done the club any harm. Yes, he was an admirable performer at the heart of the defence but he is hardly on the same level as Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen or Davinson Sanchez, who now occupy the places at centre back. His exit was simply the club moving forward, and it just took Pochettino’s arrival, with his supposed “two faced” attitude, to sort the men from the boys. Kaboul it seems fell into the latter category, and now playing with Watford, he will be itching to get one over Pochettino if and when they go head-to-head again.