Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has made the bold game that the increased demands on his players due to international fixtures means they are “playing with the health” of his senior stars in north London.
Spurs saw 12 players head to the World Cup in Russia this summer and have already suffered a number of injury blows, while more players – such as Erik Lamela and Paulo Gazzaniga – continue to get called up for national duty.
Speaking about the scheduling of games, Pochettino was left bemoaning the impact it was having on his squad and insisted they were having to manage their fitness intensely behind the scenes, impacting their personal lives.
He told the London Evening Standard: “The line between getting injured and staying fit is so thin. We don’t realise that we’re playing with the health of the players.
“They’re human, they are young, they need to enjoy life, too. They need to spend energy with their families, kids, girlfriends — and the guys that are not with girlfriends need to try to find one!
“We need to be careful. I know the business is crazy today and it’s not easy to understand, but it is like this.We put a lot of emphasis on looking after them but, in the end, when the competition arrives, the competition does not wait for you. And who pays? The club.”
Opinion
Any big club worth their salt has international stars among their ranks and so all suffer the same as Tottenham. Why are the Lilywhites appearing to have more problems? Perhaps it is not the international fixtures but the demands of the manager which are the real issue and he might have to take a new approach to training – especially for those who have been with their countries on national duty – to ensure that they do not suffer too much as the season progresses. Still, it is good to see the manager caring so passionately about his players not only on the pitch but off it as well and it is that sort of man management which can make all the difference to a star man. Pochettino treats them with the utmost respect and is rewarded with top quality performances – if they can star fully fit, that is. Time to decide how he is going to progress – lift the pressure, or continue blaming others?