Where are Tottenham’s first-team starters under Mauricio Pochettino right now?
As evidenced by his tenure at Spurs,
Mauricio Pochettino has a history of turning
underperforming teams into top-four
challengers.
The first starting lineup Pochettino fielded
for Spurs included players who weren’t up
to the task and eventually left the team.
Hugo Lloris and Eric Dier are two
prominent members of Pochettino’s initial
starting XI at Tottenham who have been
with the team for a sizable amount of time.
Under Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea’s
present makeover is not unprecedented. The
Argentine has a history of acting as the
deadwood remover, turning teams with
mediocre records into top-four contenders
in just a few transfer windows.
His time at Tottenham is a case study of how
to fully maximise resources at a manager’s
disposal. The highly-regarded gaffer arrives
at Stamford Bridge with a penchant for
taking rudderless sides and instilling a
fighting mentality, an incredibly distinctive
style, and a togetherness that has been
absent at Chelsea for 18 months.
Upon taking over at Spurs in 2014, the
former Southampton and Espanyol boss was
inheriting a side that was a confusion of
talented misfits and average footballing
journeymen who arguably, weren’t fit for
purpose.
Joining a club who were yo-yo-ing between
Europa League finishes and occasionally
qualifying for the Champions League,
Pochettino was the catalyst that took
Tottenham from a big club to a part of
Europe’s elite. As he begins to rebuild
Chelsea’s side in his image, let’s take a look
at his first starting XI at Spurs before he had
undertaken the same process which saw
them reach a Champions League Final and
finish second in the league…
GK: Hugo Lloris
The passionate, forthright Frenchman has
been a mainstay in North London for what
seems like an eternity. The 6’2 goalkeeper
signed from Lyon in 2012 and is one of just
two players still remaining from the
inception of the Pochettino era.
Having won a World Cup and a Nations
League since then, a trophy at domestic
level sadly still eludes him and would be a
brilliant way to cap off over a decade of
servitude in North London, even if it is just
in the form of a second choice ‘keeper.
Now 36, the shot-stopper could possibly
have one eye on retirement with Guglielmo
Vicario coming in from Empoli as the
prospective heir to his goalkeeping thrown.
At his best Lloris’ acrobatic reflexes, bionic
reaction time, and ability to read the game
from his box have forged a reputation for
him as one of the best goalkeepers on the
planet.
RB: Kyle Naughton
Tottenham had an inexplicable habit of
fielding right-backs named Kyle during the
mid-2010s, with Naughton, Walker, and
Walker-Peters all playing a part for the
Whites at some point or another under
Pochettino’s rule.
It just so happened to be Kyle of the
Naughton kind for Poch’s first game in
charge, but the starting right-back would
quickly fall out-of-favour, and arguably,
didn’t make the best first impression under
his new manager after being sent off in their
1-0 win over West Ham.
Naughton would eventually head for North
Wales in 2015, joining then-Premier League
side, Swansea City. The player has now been
with the club for eight years, and at 34 could
well retire at the Liberty Stadium after
recently signing a new one-year contract
extension.
CB: Younes Kaboul
Younes Kaboul was somewhat of a
throwback at centre-half, big, bustling, and
aerially dominant, the Frenchman was one
of the last defenders from the school of
Terry Butcher, with the blood-soaked
bandage wrapped around his scarred head,
all-black boots, and no-nonsense attitude, so
understandably, was a natural choice as
Pochettino’s first captain.
When he wasn’t injured, he was a
solidifying presence at the back, however,
just a short while after Pochettino’s
introduction, the France international made
the move up North for a short spell at
Sunderland where he was part of a team
that kept the Black Cats in the Premier
League. His North East stint didn’t last for
long, finding himself unable to resist the
pull of the South, and what had been his
home for the five years preceding. Heading
to Watford to the tune of £4 million, the
player appeared for the Hornets on just 26
occasions, before retiring thereafter.
CB: Eric Dier
Along with his old pal, Hugo, Eric Dier is the
only other player who still remains at the
club. This was in fact, Dier’s debut for
Tottenham, and one where he certainly
endeared himself to his new support, being
the only player on the scoresheet in the 1-0 win.
Since his maiden Spurs outing, Dier has
played for England 49 times, been an ever-
present member of the Tottenham squad,
and has even confronted a fan for being
abusive to his brother. Now 29, the player is
approaching a decade with the club, and it
may be his last if his contract which expires
next year isn’t renewed.
LB: Danny Rose
Rose’s career started with a very literal
bang, with a scorching volley against old
foes, Arsenal in a 2-1 win. It could be argued
the left-back peaked too soon, but the fact he
was a Poch-favourite and a continued
selection for the England squad perhaps
attested otherwise.
After that infamous meeting with manager,
Jose Mourinho captured on the All or
Nothing Amazon Prime sports docuseries,
the boy from Doncaster’s career has
seemingly fizzled out following a string of
second-rate moves to Newcastle and
Watford. The fullback has been an ardent
advocate for men’s mental health, having
been diagnosed with depression in 2018,
and his role in raising awareness within
footballing circles has been crucial in
helping to educate antiquated attitudes to
such matters.
CM: Etienne Capoue
The Niort-born French international was
one of the duds signed with the world-
record fee of £85 million the club secured
for Gareth Bale. In what transpired to be an
underwhelming acquisition, the defensive
midfielder’s £9.5 million transfer flattered to
deceive in a Spurs shirt.
The player appeared for Tottenham on just
36 occasions during his two-year stint in
North London, and according to the player
was never told why he was dropped by boss,
Mauricio. Since then, Capoue has gone on to
play for both Watford and Villareal, going
on to star in the latter’s Europa League win
over Manchester United in 2021.
CM: Nabil Bentaleb
Like that of his midfield counterpart,
Bentaleb’s Spurs career was also short-lived,
moving on in 2016 with a loan move to
Schalke, followed by a permanent move to
the then-Bundesliga club. After a brief loan
back in England at Newcastle, the midfielder
found a more permanent home with Ligue 2
side, Angers where he is still playing now at
the age of 28. With several years still left in
his career as a professional footballer, the
former Lille and Spurs youth product will be
hoping he can help his current side find a
way back into France’s top-flight.
RAM: Christian Erikse
Christian Eriksen presents one of the more
intriguing tales in this Spurs XI. The
attacking midfielder was a shining light
during Pochettino’s tenure. An expert
passer, peerless playmaker, and visionary
footballer, the Dane was one of the standout
players in the Tottenham team that made it
to the Champions League final and
challenged for the league title. Departing
Hotspur Way shortly after his former
manager, Eriksen joined up with Italian
giants, Inter in 2020. After an unremarkable
start to his Italian campaign, a chain of
events followed that were by their very
definition, remarkable.
Collapsing on the pitch in Denmark’s Euro
2020 opener due to a near-fatal heart attack,
Eriksen was essentially dead for five
minutes, with his teammates and home
crowd watching on with their mouths
agape. Resuscitated by medics, the former
Tottenham man made a miraculous
recovery, with initial fears he would never
be able to tie up his laces again. Joining
Brentford on a short-term deal in 2022, and
then making the switch to his new home,
Manchester United where he remains today.
A true footballing miracle.
LAM: Aaron Lennon
There was an air of world-beater about
Aaron Lennon when he got going. A
fullback’s worst nightmare the tricky,
explosive winger had a killer delivery, and
an immense low centre of gravity allowing
him to almost glide between defenders.
The player left Tottenham in 2015, joining
Everton and then Burnley. Lennon
announced his retirement in 2022, regularly
speaks about his experiences with mental
health issues, and has taken it upon himself
to raise awareness around a topic that has
become increasingly less taboo.
CAM: Erik Lamela
“Everywhere you go, always take Lamela
with you” was an inspired chant to the tune
of Crowded House’s 1991 hit, Weather With You.
The left midfielder has bags of natural flair,
and an over-abundance of ability, however,
a mixture of inconsistency and a procession
of injuries meant that White Hart Lane
rarely got to see the Argentinian midfielder
at the peak of his powers. Lamela left on a
free transfer in 2021, joining Sevilla where
he has since gone on to win a Europa
League.
ST: Emmanuel Adebayor
The Togolese international developed a
reputation for being somewhat of a
footballing maverick. The striker was partial
not the occasional screamer, and was just
three goals off being inducted into the
Premier League 100 goal club.
When he wasn’t running the length of the
pitch to celebrate in front of an incensed
Arsenal away end, he was globetrotting,
playing for numerous world-class sides,
including Man City and Real Madrid.
Leaving Spurs in 2015, Adebayor would go
on to play for another eight years,
announcing his retirement in March 2023, aged 39.
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