OPINION
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has nearly always come across as a calm and measured individual both on the touchline and in front of the media.
However, Saturday saw him in a rare explosion of passion and anger after his side’s 2-1 defeat at the hands of Burnley, the Argentine involved in a war of words with referee Mike Dean and his officials at the full time whistle.
Fans have not seen their manager like this in some time, if ever, and while he had every reason to be frustrated about the decisions made in their loss to the Clarets, he would usually deal with it either behind closed doors or in front of the cameras during an interview – not out on the pitch for everyone to see.
If nothing else, this surprise outburst has surely proven what many fans at Tottenham may have suspected this season – that the Lilywhites boss very much believes he and his men are in a Premier League title race.
Mistakes happen – everyone knows that – and Pochettino would have surely accepted that the corner which led to Burnley’s opener was an error were they not relying on points to catch Liverpool and Manchester City at the top of the table.
Instead he let his frustrations boil over and for a man usually so calm and calculated in his approach to react in the manner he did is undoubtedly a sign of pressure.
Pochettino has not confirmed nor denied whether he believes his side are in a title race this season but his actions surely make it quite clear how much defeat at what he believes to be the hands of the referees has impacted their hopes at a surprise title bid.