5. It dampens interest in Pochettino
If Tottenham fans are honest with themselves, the worst thing that could happen to the club would be losing manager Mauricio Pochettino. There may be some fools criticizing the Argentine manager at the moment, but he’s still the best thing going at White Hart Lane.
There have already been whispers of some of Europe’s biggest clubs starting to become interested in prying Pochettino away to Tottenham. His failure to thrive in Champions League competition will certainly make him less attractive to Europe’s elite.
That’s a foolish way for those clubs to evaluate a manager, but it is reality. Clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona need to be able to tell their fan bases they are hiring a manager who can win in the biggest competitions. Pochettino’s failure to get Spurs out of the Group Stage will be seen as a black mark on his resume to the type of clubs that could actually steal him away.
The failure also has clearly stung Pochettino’s pride. He isn’t the type of manager who wants to leave a club with business undone. We’re likely to see a gaffer with renewed resolve to get things done at his current club after the Monaco defeat.