Premier League Manager of the Season: Mauricio Pochettino

Impressive Poch – dailystar.co.uk

Mauricio Pochettino would surely have won last years’ ‘Manager of the Season’ award were it not for the unprecedented achievements of Claudio Ranieri and Leicester City. Another Italian, Antonio Conte, has piped Poch to the post in the title race and deserves great credit for his transformative impact at Chelsea.

However, this blog is giving special praise to Pochettino. With a modest budget and a congested fixture list over the last two seasons, he has turned Spurs from fifth and sixth place incumbents into genuine title contenders.

They have been by far the most consistent side in England since the start of last season, losing just nine Premier League matches in that time. This year, Spurs were the first team to find any weaknesses in Manchester City and Chelsea. Both had been on remarkable winning runs and looked unstoppable prior to visiting White Hart Lane, where they were beaten convincingly. That is a credit to the team’s work rate and Pochettino’s tactical nous in big games.

The organization the North Londoners showed in those matches has been sustained throughout the season, as they possess the division’s best defensive record. These are exciting times for Tottenham and their Argentine master.