What will be Pochettino’s Spurs priorities?

The saga is over. After a long and rather torturous managerial witch hunt,Spurs have finally managed to land the head coach they have been waiting for since the departure of Andre Villas Boas.In their welcome to Pochettino, chairman Daniel Levy outlined the kind of future they are anticipating under the Argentine’s tenure at White Hart Lane.An emphasis on the attacking football that has been traditionally associated with the club was one of the most significant targets that was put forward, with the integration of youth into the side.

Pochettino’s work at Southampton helped tick almost all the boxes the Spurs Board were searching for in their new manager.But,the kind of environment he would be working in will be totally different to anything he has ever experienced in his career.This is his first big step to top level management and the pressures associated with it would be huge.And it being a club like Spurs, which has endured one of the most disappointing seasons in recent history, the stakes would be high.The club has been in a mess for quite some time with the players admittedly unhappy, with their futures unclear leaving Pochettino with his work cut out.Here, we take a look at some of the most significant tasks that needs to be sorted out this summer.

White Hart Lane will be hoping Mauricio Pochettino brings success to the team.

Analyse the Spurs squad thoroughly

One thing Pochettino would have in plenty at Spurs are players to chose from. Unlike the Spurs teams of past, this squad has more than enough depth in most positions. But the big question is whether the quantity in store possess the quality needed to match the ambitions of the club. Mauricio Pochettino is also known for his insistence to promote the homegrown players, which could also provide him with plenty of pleasant headaches, given the plethora of talent in the youth academy.But, as ex -manager Tim Sherwood said, there is too much of a muchness at the club. Players who are strikingly similar in their attributes have limited the options of tactical changes and alternate strategies for the manager. Therefore, it is imperative that Pochettino address this issue quickly and figure out the ones he needs to keep and the ones he needs to sell before dipping into the transfer window.

Convince the stalwarts to stay

Tottenham Hotspur has a history of being home to some of the finest footballers in the world. From Jimmy Greaves, Darren Anderton, Paul Gascoigne to the likes of Luka Modric and Gareth Bale, the most expensive footballer in the world, Spurs have always boasted players who mixed it up with the best in the business.But, ironically enough, for all the stalwarts they had in the books, the amount of glory they managed to achieve is surprisingly few and far in between.Spurs would want to avoid a repeat of this under Pochettino with the likes of Jan Vertonghen and Hugo Lloris being linked to the big clubs. For that, the players need to be convinced of the vision,plans and their roles in it. Also,a player like Adebayor needs someone to put a hand around his shoulder and keep him in his side.They say, first impression goes a long way in changing the minds of players,especially when a new manager comes in.Hence,Pochettino needs to make sure that his ideas and principles are received warmly by the senior players.

Introducing his style of play

Pochettino is heavily influenced by the philosophies of Marcelo Bielsa, a coach who has retained total faith in his system and one who is widely respected among the footballing world for his knowledge of the game.Whilst, Bielsa is a fundamentalist and one dimensional, Pochettino has shown his adaptability to change the game in accordance with the situations.At Southampton, his high intensity pressing game was a treat to watch winning him many plaudits along the way. And at Spurs, he should have a better quality of players to train and develop.But, firstly he needs to embed the philosophy into the club and work on from there.

Get the best out of the 100 million signings

Spurs have suffered long enough for their supposedly reckless spending last summer with no less than 100 Million Pounds spend on new signings. AVB’s inability to integrate the players into his system ultimately proved to be his undoing and was shown the door while Sherwood couldn’t help better the situation either.With the exception of Christian Eriksen, who had a wonderful finish to the season and maybe, Paulinho, none of the signings rose to their true potential in the eyes of the management. Pochettino’s impressive track record of getting the best out of players by helping them improve their game will no doubt be put to test at Spurs with a majority of players under performing last season.

Two of the most expensive signings, Erik Lamela and Roberto Soldado, have been the biggest disappointments last season with their problems in settling into a new culture and language being a decisive factor in their fortunes .However, under Pochettino, they would have no such troubles with the 42 year old Spanish speaking Argentine able to interpret his ideas and philosophies accurately.

Working with Levy and Baldini

Although Pochettino might have been briefed about the roles he would be assigned to, working under a Director of Football is almost always met with complications in English shores as Andre Villas Boas found out. Spurs need to have a good transfer window this summer and it is of utmost significance that the Director of Football manages to land the targets of Pochettino’s choice.For that, the Head coach needs to have a well oiled relationship between the powers up top to discuss the targets, analyse the possibilities and risk factor involved before giving the green light.The former Espanyol man is used to working with directors and had a very good relationship with ex- Southampton chairman Nicolas Cortese that helped him succeed at St.Mary’s. If Pochettino can repeat that feat at White Hart Lane and form a strong bond with the Chairman and the Director, then Spurs fans can look forward to a much better season in 2014/15.