Erik Lamela says he understands why Tottenham Hotspur fans want Mauricio Pochettino
Former Tottenham Hotspur winger Erik Lamela has shed light on why he thinks Mauricio Pochettino could be a good fit at Spurs.
Antonio Conte left the club high and dry in March as he left by mutual consent, with Cristian Stellini taking over as interim manager until the end of the season. It marked another big departure since Pochettino was sacked in late 2019.
Since the Argentine manager’s sacking, Spurs have seen big names like Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Conte come and go. The fans never really felt connected to any of these managers.
Poch was one man who was universally loved amongst our fanbase. He led the club to the 2019 UEFA Champions League final and made us into a team qualifying for the Champions League on a rather regular basis.
He was the one who truly forced Spurs into the conversation of a ‘big six’ rather than a traditional ‘big four’. Lamela arrived at Spurs in the summer of 2013 from AS Roma – nearly a year before Pochettino was signed as the club’s manager.
He made 183 appearances under the Argentine coach, who left in 2019. Poch’s compatriot, Lamela, left Spurs for Sevilla in the summer of 2021 in a deal that included Bryan Gil’s transfer to N17.
Spurs fans were heard signing Pochettino’s name in the team’s 2-1 league win against Brighton & Hove Albion on April 8 at home. Lamela can understand why. He told the Times (Subscription Required):
“I think the fans have great affection for him because of all the things he did for the club, during all the years he was there. He put the club at the top, both in England and in Europe, and for many years, and at Tottenham that shouldn’t be underestimated. The fans enjoyed that. I hear they want him back. I understand it, whether it will happen, I don’t know.”
Pochettino offers safety. Safety that he is a man who knows the club inside out, has worked with the boardroom and chairman before, and knows a majority of the big-name players currently in our team.
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The 51-year-old is also much wiser and more seasoned after managing Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for a while, where he also won the Ligue 1 title last season. Let’s get him in and hand him the keys to the project here. He should have never been sacked, to begin with.
