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Mauricio Pochettino calls Pep Guardiola disrespectful

By Jocelyn Taub

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 13: Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino looks on before the UEFA Champions League group H match between Tottenham Hotspur and Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium on September 13, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 13: Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino looks on before the UEFA Champions League group H match between Tottenham Hotspur and Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium on September 13, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images) /
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Mauricio Pochettino has hit out at Pep Guardiola for referring to Spurs as “the Harry Kane team”

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has accused Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola of being disrespectful.

The comments are in response to a September 30th interview in which Guardiola assessed his Premier League competition. Following his team’s victory over Chelsea, Guardiola was asked which clubs he thought would be contesting the league title. The City manager mentioned Chelsea. He then added, “but we also have United, we saw again the Harry Kane team scores every day two or three goals.”

While an obvious nod to Harry Kane’s fantastic start to the season, Pochettino believes it showed a lack of respect to his team. He referred to Guardiola’s remark as a “sad comment.”

Pochettino put forth the ultimate analogy to prove his point. Guardiola had massive success as head coach of Barcelona from 2008-2012. In describing that period, the Spurs manager stated:

“I never said it was the ‘Messi team’. I always said it was Barcelona, it was Pep Guardiola, and I think everyone deserves to be recognized as being part of the success of the team.”

Guardiola’s comment is hypocritical

Of course there is the possibility that Guardiola’s comments were tongue in cheek. However, a manager of his stature should know better than to single out one player in the ultimate team sport.

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It’s also somewhat hypocritical. Manchester City have the highest total player payroll in the league at £225 million. Tottenham is sixth in player spending with a £121.2 million wage bill.

Then there’s the fact that City have spent a ton of money to build an academy and have yet to produce any top flight talent. Meanwhile Spurs have four home-grown players on the club’s payroll. At the top of that list, is the aforementioned Kane.

Rather than throwing barbs at Spurs, Guardiola should admire the fact that the London club scouted, trained and now fields one of the league’s best players.

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Guardiola is employed by Sheikh Mansour whose family is worth more than $1 trillion!  If Pep wants a player, he can just go out and get them. If not for the owner’s wealth, he might be fielding a lineup featuring Jo, Stephen Ireland and Shaun Wright-Phillips.

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