Mauricio Pochettino's appointment as the manager of Spurs for the 14/15 season came as a surprise; He was formerly a manager for a weaker team, he was not fully proven and it was certainly not a safe pick by Daniel Levy. That situation can be likened to the present, as Aussie, Ange Postecoglou, joins Tottenham from Celtic. Both managers arrived at a stagnant team, one which needed to be ruthlessly culled and rebuilt. Spurs fans today will be hoping that Ange can have the same success as Pochettino, not only in his rebuild of a quality team - but also his success on a long-term basis of creating a force to be reckoned with in Tottenham Hotspur. Let's take a look at the team Pochettino was presented with (the final 11 of the 13/14 season) as he joined Spurs, and hope that his relative success in clearing the dead weight can be matched by "Big Ange"
Goalkeeper - Hugo Lloris - Still at Tottenham (for now)
Hugo Lloris was the first-team goalkeeper for Tottenham at this point, and (not that he knew it) would be soon approaching the prime of his career. There was never a question of selling Lloris, and Poch has had full loyalty to him throughout his era as Spurs manager. Lloris would become Spurs captain next season and keep that honour till this day. He will leave Tottenham this summer though, with reports suggesting an exit to Saudi Arabia could be likely.
Defence - Kyle Naughton - Swansea
A player who showed promise but unfortunately wasn't able to convince Poch. He stayed half a season with Mauricio, playing five times, and was then transferred to Swansea in January. He has stayed this since, being a regular in the team throughout its stint in the Premier League and drop to Championship. Presently, he has signed a contract until 2024, which will keep him at Swansea for one final year, in which they will hope they can achieve promotion.
- Danny Rose - No Club
Last seen training with York City, to maintain fitness, the story of Danny Rose is a sad one. After his iconic volley against Arsenal, he went on loan to a variety of clubs, winning Sunderland's Young Player of the Season in 2013. After he broke through into the first team at Tottenham, he enjoyed a fruitful four years or so, being named twice in the team of the season and being a regular English international starter. Despite this though, he had reoccurring injuries with his knee and struggled with depression. He also seemed to fall out of love with the sport, stating he, "Couldn't wait to turn his back on the sport" due to Racism. After falling out of favour with Jose Mourinho, he left Tottenham for Watford, where his once bright career dwindled to release and currently is no longer.
- Vlad Chiriches - Cremonese
Vlad Chiriches was voted Man of the Match on his debut for Tottenham, giving fans hope of what could be a new star, however sadly it never worked out for Vlad at Tottenham. Staying for two years, one year under Poch, he was sold to Napoli in 2015. One of the most error-prone and calamitous central defenders I have seen for Tottenham, he had a habit of receiving the ball in defence, and opting to go on a mazy dribble - thus being dispossessed and giving the opposing team a scoring opportunity. Currently he is the vice-captain of Serie B team - Cremonese, looking unrecognisable to Spurs fans who remember him having a full head of hair.
- Michael Dawson - Club Ambassador for Tottenham
The captain of this 11, Michael Dawson was sold to Hull City the summer Poch arrived. After being relegated with them, He brought them back up the following season. He then joined Nottingham Forest, the club he started at when he was 9, thus completing the full cycle of his career. He Retired in 2021 and joined Tottenham as a Club Ambassador along with Ledley King. He also appears as a pundit on Sky Sports occasionally.
Midfield - Sandro - Without a club
Sandro Raniere Guimarães Cordeiro - or just Sandro, will be remembered by most for his thunderous strikes from outside the box and (sometimes) strong defensive displays. A player also plagued by injuries, he was sold by Tottenham to QPR in September 2014. After stints in Turkey and Brazil, he most recently played for B-SAD, A rebel offshoot of Clube de Futebol Os Belenenses. His footballing career looks to be finished, but he regularly speaks publicly about his time in England, telling reporters that he follows them from abroad and that leaving Spurs in 2014 was "the biggest regret of his career"
- Gylfi Sigurdsson - Without a club
Although dropped by Danish beverage company - State Energy - and completely alienated by the football community, it's worth noting that Sigurdsson was never actually charged or proven guilty. Despite the unpleasant rumours surrounding his name, one cannot argue his worth and quality as a player. A footballer I wished Tottenham never sold upon Poch's arrival, he oozed class and creativity for any club he was at; Reading, Spurs, Everton, Swansea. His contract ran out with Everton in 2022 and he was released. He is currently without a club and not in contact with the public.
- Paulinho - Corinthians
An interesting career which includes time in Finland, Lithuania, China, Saudi Arabia, England and Brazil, Paulinho first began to attract major clubs during his time at Sau Paulo giants - Corinthians. After impressing there and scoring some influential goals, he was bought by Tottenham during their mass spending era due to Bale's sale to Real Madrid. However, he flattered to deceive in England, being sold by Poch to Guangzhou Evergrande. He then surprisingly spent a year in Barcelona, playing with the likes of Messi and Suarez. He was then shipped back to China, spent time in Saudi Arabia and currently plays back at Corinthians who he will probably end his career with.
- Christian Eriksen - Manchester United
Another player who was present throughout Pochettino's tenure. Similar to Rose, He had a great 4 or 5 years with the club, then began to become frustrated. Towards the end of his time at Tottenham his performances reflected his mindset at spurs; ambling about with disinterest. After a year or so at Inter, although having his moments, he was placed on the transfer list. After his cardiac arrest and the presence of his implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, his contract was terminated by Inter. Two years later, after a successful half a year with Brentford, he plies his trade for Manchester United, which bittered many Spurs Fans.
Forwards - Emmanuel Adebayor - Retired
The Togolese international last played for Semassi, a club in the highest division of Togolese Football. When Poch was appointed Adebayor stayed one more season, until he was sold to Crystal Palace. Following a dry year at Selhurst Park, he moved to Istanbul, then Paraguay and finally back to his native Toga - where his family stay. In March 2023, he announced his retirement from professional football.
- Harry Kane - Still at Spurs (for now)
Mr Tottenham, Mr MBE, multi-record breaker. Where to start? Upon Poch's appointment, Kane was already pretty much proven, all Mauricio had to do was start him. Hundreds of goals later and Harry Kane is still at Tottenham, having won pretty much every personal accolade he can. However - no trophies. One can argue does this matter? There have been many legends of the game who are trophyless; Le Tissier, Di Natale, Collymore. The decision lies with Kane. Does he wish to stay at Spurs and hope for silverware? Breaking the Premier League goal record along the way. He could also break the record while moving to a team more likely to win a trophy, United or City Perhaps. Real Madrid also beckons, where a trophy is almost guaranteed. It's all in his hands. But for now, all Spurs fans should be very thankful for what he has done for the club.
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