Pochettino vs. Pellegrini: Breaking Down the Tottenham-Man City Dugout Battle
The potential top-four ramifications of Tottenham Hotspur's meeting with Manchester City on Sunday have diminished in recent weeks.
Two wins since the Manchester derby defeat, which ended a worrying month or so's form, have all but cemented a fifth consecutive crack at Champions League football for the reigning Premier League champions—at least until Sunday afternoon. Mauricio Pochettino's sixth-placed side remain in mathematical contention to finish fourth or higher, but it is a long shot after an underwhelming April.
Sunday's dugout battle between the Premier League's two South American bosses does not possess the urgency it might have. But given the one-sided recent history between these two clubs, and their uncertain futures, there remains ample intrigue in the present.
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Perception
Prior to Tottenham Hotspur's 2-2 draw with Southampton last time out, Pochettino spoke about his first year in north London being "a transition season."
"I have a four-year contract left," the head coach said in his pre-match press conference. "I need to try to build a good and strong team to realistically try to fight for the top four next season."
Since the turn of the decade, Spurs have been perennial contenders for a place in Europe's premier club competition. Once qualifiers (2009-10) and twice narrowly missing out (2011-12, 2012-13), standards have remained sufficient for them to earn a place in the discussion year after year.
The same has applied this season. But while there will be disappointment to see their expensively assembled team miss out on the Champions League again, there will also (mostly) be acceptance of the Argentinian's scheduling. Next season is the point of acceleration in his planned-for progress.
"It’s important we have a plan now and only we need to time," Pochettino added. "And you know in football it’s difficult to take time. But if the chairman [Daniel Levy], that is the boss, wants to develop this project we are here and ready to do the job."
Managing Tottenham is hardly a cakewalk, but Manchester City boss Pellegrini heads to White Hart Lane on Sunday amid a completely different level of pressure.
The failure to add silverware to last season's Premier League and Capital One Cup successes has been exacerbated by the relative comfort with which Chelsea look set to displace the north-west outfit as champions. The club hierarchy's willingness to depose of previous incumbents Mark Hughes and Roberto Mancini when the situation was hardly dire has led to questioning over whether they could act again with Pellegrini.
"A limp defence of their title, as well as another early exit from the Champions League makes the former Real Madrid manager vulnerable" said the Manchester Evening News' James Robson this week. "City were best equipped to keep Jose Mourinho’s men honest."
Like Pochettino's Spurs, Pellegrini's Man City are undertaking something of a five-year plan of their own. "If we look at the next five years and I could plan now, I would say I want to win five trophies in the next five years," chief executive Ferran Soriano said in 2013, per the Guardian's Paul Chronnell.
There still could be scope for Pellegrini to be leading City through this hoped-for era of glory. Pochettino's defence of him at his press conference this past Friday might well be the thought process of City's decision-makers too.
"I think that it's not easy the Premier League," he said. "When you compete, or when Manchester City compete for the Premier League and fight with sides like Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, us—it never is easy."
Sky Blue Bogey Team?
"If for some reason we don’t finish second, I don’t think it is a shame," Pellegrini said following last week's turbulent 3-2 win over Aston Villa, as noted by the Guardian's Richard Jolly.
Not all Manchester City supporters and observers will necessarily agree with his big-picture interpretation (albeit he noted this week it was not meant as rosily as it might read). For now, he told his pre-match press conference this week (below) "we are thinking just to win the next game against Tottenham."
A Tottenham team they have mostly had the beating of since the first year of this decade.
In nine meetings since Spurs beat them in May 2010 to secure their last go at the Champions League, Man City have won seven out of nine. Their only loss was the 3-1 April 2013 turnover when the north Londoners benefited from the tumult engulfing City during the last days of Mancini's reign.
Since he took over that summer, Pellegrini has had Spurs' number, inadvertently contributing to the downfall of two of their own head coaches (Andre Villas-Boas and Tim Sherwood) with 11 goals in two emphatic victories last season. The Sky Blues beat them 4-1 in October to continue the trend of embarrassing results.
"It's a very tough game because Tottenham has a good team and very good players and managers," Pellegrini said, playing down his club's recent superiority.
At his presser, Pochettino made a point of not praising his upcoming opponents' too effusively. Last time he compared Sergio Aguero to "classical music" and described him as "the best striker in the world."
The Argentinian player proceeded to fire all four of City's goals past his compatriot's side.
Shaky At the Back, Flaky in Attack
Aguero's stunning performance (another constant in this fixture in recent years) led a comprehensive evisceration of Tottenham's defensive integrity by Manchester City.
Improved performances from the away side's work-in-progress back four in preceding Premier League games gave way as Aguero, James Milner, Jesus Navas, David Silva and others revelled in the inattentiveness of their opponents. It was the nadir of club captain Younes Kaboul's already mixed season, while Pochettino's decision to hand Federico Fazio his league debut against such a tough opponent did not work out—he was sent off.
Spurs' defensive work undermined a spirited effort from the team's attack that day.
The consistent pairing of Fazio and Jan Vertonghen in central defence did lead to stronger, better-organised performances during the team's midseason peak. Mostly, though, during 2014-15, it has been the greater production from the team's attack since October—transformed by the emergence of Harry Kane—that has made up for their continuing shakiness at the back (see springtime wins over Swansea City and Leicester City for such examples).
Pochettino rightly pointed out last month that keeping out the opposition is not only the responsibility of those whose primary positional function it is to do so. "It is not about the 'keeper or the centre-backs or the full-back or the holding midfielder," the head coach said ahead of the draw with Burnley. "It's about the team, that we need to try to provide the team a better balance in the defensive positions."
Indeed, Spurs' attack has not always been so reliable doing their main job either. They are only just removed from blunt, goalless offerings against the Clarets and the also relegation-battling (and same-kit-colour enthusiasts) Aston Villa. Yet there has undoubtedly been more to shout about at the front end of things.
Their iffy work keeping out Southampton (when goals from Erik Lamela and Nacer Chadli were needed to rescue a point) does not engender optimism Tottenham will be able to stop their bete noire, Manchester City, this time.
Despite City's current run of dismantling Spurs with such entertaining glee, their own performances of late offer no guarantees it will continue.
"One of the primary concerns as Manchester City’s season has limped to an unsatisfactory close has been the inability of Manuel Pellegrini to rouse his side in a time of need," said Bleacher Report's Rob Pollard after Pellegrini's team needed a late winner from Fernandinho to defeat Aston Villa.
Worryingly for Tottenham, Man City still move the ball around the penalty box more hypnotically than anyone in the Premier League. Blending quick, precise passing with enviable movement and moments of outstanding individual skill, Aguero, Silva, Yaya Toure and more can still be a sight to behold.
However, it is not being translated into genuine dominance like it was. Dropped points in eight of their 15 matches since the turn of the year shows the title-winning magic—which was still evident when they beat Spurs and went toe-to-toe with Chelsea for first place earlier in the campaign—has evaporated for the time being.
Bleacher Report's Alex Dimond observed "City were often outplayed by what is, empirically speaking, one of the worst teams in the league" last week. But for Brad Guzan's third-minute error putting them on the back foot almost immediately, Sherwood's Aston Villa might have caused more problems than they eventually did, bringing it back to 2-2 having been two goals down.
Man City appeared discombobulated at points during the final half hour, especially at set plays. Joe Hart was caught off his line for Tom Cleverley's goal, while Wilfried Bony, Silva and Pablo Zabaleta all allowed Carlos Sanchez to strike Villa's equaliser unmarked.
It could have been worse had Christian Benteke not been wrongly ruled offside after Martin Demichelis stumbled trying to stop Charles N'Zogbia's break. City had enough to secure the win, but their flaws have arguably never been so apparent.
In Chadli, Christian Eriksen, Kane and Lamela, Spurs have players capable of exposing them further. But they and their team-mates will need to get out of their own way first to stand any chance of doing so.
Something's Got to Give
Even with their clear, repeatedly emphasised inferiority to Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur will (not forgetting their own current on-pitch issues) hope Sunday is their opportunity to regain some dignity against their recent tormentors.
The fading of a title defence, a manager under pressure—there are parallels between the Man City team Spurs beat at the Lane two years ago and the one going through another crisis of confidence now. Pochettino's men have also shown they can compete with the division's elite this season, beating Chelsea and Arsenal and drawing with Manchester United.
Yet while the City team built by Mancini and driven on by Pellegrini may be reaching the end of its lifespan (in places throughout the squad anyway), they remain a foe not to be discounted.
Both these clubs could do with a win for reasons beyond the three points. It will not cover or fix all their problems, but it could help set them on a path to doing so.
Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
