Gus Poyet spent three seasons with Tottenham as a player and then served as an assistant to Juande Ramos. The former midfielder from Uruguay now coaches Jonbuk in Korea, but is still following his former direction.
In an interview with FlashScore, Poyet talks about the current situation at Spurs under Ange Postecoglou and the challenges of managing on the side under Daniel Levy.
Tottenham struggled considerably this season under Ange Postecoglou in the Premier League. It is their worst season since the Premier League was founded in 92/93 and their worst in general since 76/77 when they were relegated. What is wrong with Spurs and do you think they can still turn it around?
“I think the football that Ange Postecoglou brought to Tottenham was exciting. I watched him in his first season. I have plenty of friends there and I said to them:” You're going to enjoy it, but I don't know if you're going to win “because all games 4-2, 5-3 ended up, so a very open style of playing.
“I don't see my team and players playing so high on the field, but I love different styles, it was impressive. I believe that that kind of style could work in the long term if you could keep the players fit. But with the traces it was a nightmare – many injuries.”
Especially in the defense with Romero and Davies from …
“Yes, if you think of the team, they have Bentancur, Son, Maddison, an incredible group of people, the problem is that they can never play at full power. So in the Premier League it was a disaster of a season.
“But they are in the final. And knowing the Spurs fans when they win, they will forget the Premier League, they won't care if they are the 17th.
“But if they lose, it will be impossible for Ange Postecoglou to continue. I hate it to say it, because I want the coach to stay long and works as long as he knows, but I know Daniel Levy very well, I know the Spurs fans, so it will be difficult to accept. But he has a great opportunity tonight.
“I will add a little more important. He said six months ago:” I always win a trophy. “So when people ask me about him, I answer:” Let's wait, who knows … “
“I was there as an assistant during the last cup in 2008, and we were joking with Juande Ramos when we left Spurs.” Ok, let's see when they will win a cup … “Three, Five, Six, Eight … 10 years? 14 years? I did not expect that Tottenham would go so long without winning a trophy.
“I hope that Ange can make as many players fit, so that he can get the chance to win the cup.”
Since you mentioned Levy, what is the biggest challenge in managing Tottenham? There were recently many great managers on the wheel – Mourinho, Conte etc. – and none of them enjoyed great success. How difficult is it for a manager to deal with Daniel Levy?
“I think he brought the club to an incredible level from the financial perspective. It was not easy to create what he created and it is great. I was lucky to visit a few years ago and the top class. And their new stadium is the best in England. So you have to manage the two sides of the team.
“Unfortunately in football, and Tottenham and Levy are no exception, the same applies to other clubs such as Chelsea, United and others – they think that changing the coach is the solution. We don't play, I promise you. We, the coaches, use teams in different ways – motivation, tactical aspects, special vision, formations or whatever, we play.
“The situation with Spurs is that they have thought for many years that the problem is the coach. But it is not. Because if you want to lift a trophy, your Mourinho will not dismiss 10 days before a final. So there is a bit of consideration and also a collision of characters and ego involved.
“So if Ange leaves? I hope he doesn't do that, but the best to replace him would be Pochettino. He knows the team. He knows exactly what he should tell Daniel Levy, to have three or four seasons for himself. But now Poch is with the national team of the US and the World Cup in the US.”
How strange is it to see two Premier League teams that are next to the degrader in the current classification in the UEL -Final? Can we consider it the establishing argument for the PL that is the best competition in the world, or is it just a matter of circumstances?
“I think it is, probably not for this reason, but it is the best competition in the world for me. Every week it is a different story and you prepare to compete against everyone. What is really bad for football, and I mean that two teams that are so low in the table can reach a European final.
“In terms of the positions of the finalists in the competition, it is probably the worst European final, we have to go back and check, but we never see both teams in the bottom 10 of the table. But we are talking about two massive clubs in their worst seasons in the Premier League that plays a final, but it is not normal.
“Or, with regard to everyone, it could be that in the back of the players, and probably also in the staff, because they are doing so badly in the competition, the only rescue is the European cup. That is part of football.
“I also explained to my players -” How many people told us during our days – come on, boys, you concentrate at the game of today! You play at home against a waste team and three days later you play Milan in the Champions League. “
'But they want you to concentrate today? Yes, anyway. “
How many of the 'European DNA' and winning experience will come into play tonight? On paper, United should have a lead in that respect …
“Experience helps for the game. I will give you a personal example from my career – I had not played too many finals until I was in Zaragoza. Then we went to the Copa del Rey final and we lost from Real Madrid.
“In the following year we reached the final again, which was very rare that Zaragoza was in two in a row. But then we played Celta Vigo, we were the favorites and we had to win.
“I played most of the season, a full 90 minutes, no problem. But during the final I got cramps. It wasn't because I wasn't fit; it was the tension, the responsibility. So it depends on the players and how they will take it.
“I think some of the United players in the sense are in the better position, but I think it will be a matter of which team as a group will realize that chance, that one occasion that is left.
“It will be a team thing, it won't be one player to decide. On a day that both teams play their best, I prefer Tottenham.”
Follow the Europa League final with flash score.