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The Greg Meyer Column.
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Friday 29 January .. W.C.Fields Birthday.
The Invisible Wife of a Very Visible Manager.
Supping
on a quiet Spanish beer with some journalist mates, one topic much
discussed was the comings and goings of a certain Spurs manager.
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Not those a la to and from Barcelona on the holiday camp nor the unfortunate backwards and forwards to el toilet.
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He fell ill for a day. Some cheeky rumours suggesting he should have forgone the Spanish ice in his evening Midori Sour. No the tabloidal outpourings this week were on his departure for Chelsea and Manchester United.
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It even got to the stage that one prominent paper suggested the Press Conference scheduled on Thursday was deferred for negotiations with Chelsea to continue. You could not make it up if you tried.
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Not those a la to and from Barcelona on the holiday camp nor the unfortunate backwards and forwards to el toilet.
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He fell ill for a day. Some cheeky rumours suggesting he should have forgone the Spanish ice in his evening Midori Sour. No the tabloidal outpourings this week were on his departure for Chelsea and Manchester United.
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It even got to the stage that one prominent paper suggested the Press Conference scheduled on Thursday was deferred for negotiations with Chelsea to continue. You could not make it up if you tried.
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Those
rumours were quickly put to bed by Mauricio earlier today. Still given
the rising profile of Spurs attributable to the efforts of their still
young (but 43 years in) manager the questions about his increasingly
impressive CV continue to grow.
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One of our
number at a recent Presser with Senor Pochettino came away with an
impression of a strong family man with a definite hint of steel. What
particularly intrigued us was who were the powers behind the throne and
the members of that football family.
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Whilst
forthcoming on most fronts Mauricio was less forthcoming about Mrs
Pochettino. The mother of 19 year old Sebastiano recently studying
science at the University of Southampton and 13 year old Maurizio, both
keen Spurs fans
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..
Naturally Karina Pochettino is obviously an important
element of the Pochettino family both football and otherwise. His
ability to engender both respect and football love for all in the Spurs
family is there for all to see.
The Pochettino
football family is no overnight sensation either although the way it's going
Daniel Levy and Spurs fans galore will be keen to endorse that adjective
and then some.
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A journey that began in the
village of Murphy, located not in Ireland but north east Argentina.
After starring for Newell's Old Boys, yes that is a real club name, he
moved to RCD Espanyol in 1994.
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In 2006 after more than 300 appearances
for Espanyol he retired as a player. "The Sheriff of Murphy" did not
however holster his shin pads. No they were needed in the new coaching/ management career that beckoned.
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At 36 after a brief stint coaching Espanyol's women's team he took the
reins at his beloved "Los Periquitos", rather cutely translated in English as the" Budgies". It was at Espanyol that the close knit
Pochettino team was developed and finalised.
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Miguel
D'Agostini, the present Spurs first team coach, met Pochettino as
teenagers at the Newell Old Boy's academy in Rosario. He subsequently
joined his friend at Espanyol. Jesus Perez,now assistant to head coach
Mauriccio joined the "family" in 2010, initially as a football analyst
at Espanyol.
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Earlier
the third member of his loyal and long serving backroom family, the
Spurs goalkeeping coach, Toni Jiminez joined together with Mauriccio in
1994 also in Spain. All 3 lieutenants joined their boss when he became
manager of Southampton in 2013.
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And of course when the Spurs dream began
in May 2014 the Pochettino family in its entirety was there, ready
winning and able.
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Meanwhile at a Spanish Taberna.
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Our
Kent publican is on holiday in Spain. Some of us have joined him.
Obviously if it's good enough for our Spurs squad to holiday in Barcelona
then why not take the hint.
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Back
to earth at Colchester United on Saturday. Mostly known for some
interesting castles but certainly not for its football history.Even with
a third string team likely from the family man surely Spurs make a
relatively rare progression past the fourth round of the FA Cup.
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Back
to our birthday boy. A man whose quotes adorn the walls of our Kent Pub
men's toilet. Perhaps a gentle reminder to our players at Colchester to
avoid a potential banana skin ...
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" Never give a sucker an even break."
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And one for a happy Spurs fan just about to depart from a celebratory pub ...
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" I never worry about being driven to drink; I just worry about being driven home.
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Salud ... no better time to be a Spurs fan ... Greg Meyer. coys.
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Jimmy's Video Spot.
A stayer rather than a new signing but he seems to have recaptured the kind of form shown here. Welcome back the new Mousa Dembele. That's Mousa with one 's'.
The other new Moussa Dembele, that's Moussa with two 's's' is still threatening to join us but no hard news yet.
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Not much footage of Mauricio in action I'm afraid.
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A stayer rather than a new signing but he seems to have recaptured the kind of form shown here. Welcome back the new Mousa Dembele. That's Mousa with one 's'.
The other new Moussa Dembele, that's Moussa with two 's's' is still threatening to join us but no hard news yet.
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Not much footage of Mauricio in action I'm afraid.
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