By Matt Joy
Following Southampton’s decision to dismiss the man with the whitest teeth in football, Nigel Adkins, in January 2013, a man with little managerial pedigree and no real link to English football was brought in.
Forty-one-year-old Mauricio Pochettino was presented as the new boss and he immediately promised positive football at St Mary’s.
Cynics began to criticise the decision almost immediately, citing the Argentinian’s poor communication abilities with the English media.
Just over three years and two clubs later, however, Pochettino has most certainly made his mark on the English game. His teams are enjoyable to watch and, best of all, he’s certainly impacted on the English national team.
Just how much of the positivity and optimism in the young players who are emerging have we to thank the previously little heard of manager for? Here’s a list of the home-grown talent nurtured under Pochettino’s guidance.
Southampton
. Nathaniel Clyne – Now at Liverpool, the full-back is more or less a certainty in any English squad when fit nowadays. Although originally signed by Adkins from Crystal Palace, the 24-year-old cemented a place in the Southampton starting XI and continued his impressive growth under the Argentine, eventually leading to a £12.5m move to Liverpool.
. Jay Rodriguez – Another Adkins signing, Rodriguez seemed to be a safe bet for a seat on the plane to Brazil in 2014. Rodriguez scored a very impressive 15 goals in the 2013-14 season, and was deployed in a system which encouraged a high level of pressing. Unfortunately, a serious knee injury ruled Rodriguez out of the World Cup. Saints and English fans will be hoping the forward can recover the form that saw him catch the eye under Pochettino.
. James Ward-Prowse – The energetic midfielder impressed Pochettino in the 2013-14 season, and became a regular starter in the centre of midfield despite being just 19 at the start of the campaign. A total of 34 league appearances in Pochettino’s full season as Saints boss set the youngster up very nicely for a promising future both at club and international level.
. Adam Lallana – Lallana may not be as young as some of the others on the list at 27, but the continued late blossoming of his career under Pochettino led to his first England call-up in November 2013. Lallana had been at the club since 2006 and a first team regular since 2008, but it was the influence of the South American boss that propelled him into the England spotlight. He’s now in most English squads.
. Luke Shaw – One of English football’s most promising youngsters, Shaw emerged as a versatile attacking full-back and his growth was encouraged and aided by Pochettino. He gave him the freedom to demonstrate his technical ability and raw talent, eventually being nominated as the left-back in the PFA Team of the Year for the 2013-14 season aged just 18.
Tottenham Hotspur
. Harry Kane – Where else to start? Kane’s emergence under Pochettino has been nothing short of incredible. Kane was hardly a household name before the start of the 2014-15 seasons but he finished with 21 goals in 34 league appearances. This incredibly impressive form has been matched this campaign, with 22 goals at the time of writing. He’s now an England regular and has already found the net three times in eight appearances since his debut for the national side last year. The confidence placed in him by the Argentinian is a huge factor in Kane’s meteoric rise.
. Eric Dier – Snapped up for a reasonably small fee of £4m by Pochettino in 2014, Dier has emerged as one of the essential players in the backbone of a defensively strong Spurs side. Versatility is one of Dier’s strengths and he’s been deployed at both centre-back and a defensive midfielder – and he made his well-deserved international breakthrough in friendlies against Spain and France. He received a great deal of praise for his solid performance in the 2-0 win against France.
. Ryan Mason – In comparison to some of Spurs’ emerging talents, Mason arguably has gone somewhat under the radar. Before Pochettino’s arrival, Mason was plying his trade out on loan at League One side Swindon Town. After impressing the new boss in the pre-season tour of America, Mason was rewarded with a debut in the North London derby last term and finished the season with 31 appearances in the league, 13 more than he achieved the season before in League One. He received his first international call-up for the friendly against Italy and set up then team-mate Andros Townsend’s equaliser.
. Dele Alli – Alli has emerged as one of the best players of this campaign for Spurs. Pochettino signed Alli from MK Dons in the January transfer window of 2015, subsequently loaning him back there to continue his development. His debut season has been very promising and at just 19 the confidence in his own ability has to be traced back to brilliant man-management from Pochettino. An England call-up has followed which saw Alli score a fantastic long-range drive against France. You’d have thought this would be his goal of the season, but his Bergkamp-esque volley against London rivals Crystal Palace may have just topped it.
All in all then, Pochettino really hasn’t done half bad. The players brought through by the Argentinian have set England’s preparation up for the Euros nicely and, whisper it quietly, but you could even claim that English fans are starting to feel optimistic about the Three Lions’ chances in France.
This, of course, will inevitably lead to disappointment when we lose in the quarter-finals on penalties but hey… it’s nice to dream, isn’t it?
