Jermaine Jenas expects Mauricio Pochettino to receive a hostile reception from the “boo boys” when Spurs host London rivals Chelsea at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Monday night.
Pochettino took the reins at Tottenham in 2014 and threatened to lead the club to a first-ever Premier League title in his second season in charge before losing out to Leicester City and then ceding the runner-up spot to Arsenal.
The Argentine secured second spot the following season, finishing behind Chelsea, and then gave Spurs fans some European memories to cherish en route to the Champions League final in 2019, before ultimately losing out 2-0 to Liverpool in the showdown in Madrid.
But football is fickle and five months after nearly clinching the sport’s greatest club prize, Pochettino was sacked with Tottenham languishing down in 14th in the Premier League.
A spell at Paris Saint-Germain followed but there were always rumours of a return to England. Manchester United was always seen as the likeliest destination, but after they opted for Erik ten Hag in 2022, Pochettino was unveiled as the Chelsea boss this summer.
It adds another layer of intrigue to a clash that rarely requires any extra hype. Discussing the matter with fellow TNT Sports pundit Joe Cole, Jenas said Pochettino needs to accept his relationship with Spurs supporters has soured.
“The interesting part of the whole thing is the return of Mauricio – is he going to get some love for what he did for that football club? Or is it just going to be boo central?” Jenas said.
“I think he just crossed the line, I think that’s the issue. From your point of view, for example, you said to me a minute ago, ‘He’s Chelsea now’.
“He needs to make peace with the fact that that ship has sailed with what he’s done at Spurs and this rivalry is real. I think the boo boys are going to be out and he’s just going to have to swallow it unfortunately.”
As for the game itself, the two sides come into it in contrasting form. While many expected Spurs to struggle after the departure of star striker Harry Kane, they have been a revelation under new manager Ange Postecoglou.
The Australian has yet to taste defeat in the Premier League and has overseen the club’s best start to a league campaign in their history.
The same can’t be said for Chelsea and Pochettino. Despite more than £1 billion being spent since Todd Boehly took over in May 2022, the Blues sit 12th after 10 games this season, having registered just three wins and 12 points.
Cole, a former Chelsea midfielder, expects Pochettino to turn around the team’s fortunes, but said the Argentine needs to address the lack of goals plaguing his progress.
“I’ve watched Chelsea and there’s a lot of compartments with the team that are good,” Cole added. “The midfield now, I think looks settled. I’m happy with that. Conor Gallagher, Enzo [Fernandez] and [Moises] Caicedo, young, good balance, can do everything.
“He hasn’t been able to settle on the back four. [Benoit] Badiashile is a really good player that we’ve missed. [Axel] Disasi has played right-back at times, which doesn’t suit him. He’s a good player, at centre-half done really well.
“So he needs to settle on them parts but it’s the front end of the pitch. It’s so frustrating because they’re at that stage now where they’re not even pulling the trigger, some of the lads, because of the confidence levels, so they need someone to lift them.”
Jenas agreed with Cole and tipped his former club to prove too strong at this stage of the season.
“It weighs heavy on a team eventually when that ball’s not hitting the back of the net,” Jenas said. “It’s alright popping it around [but] if you’re not scoring goals, it just has an impact on the team and going to Spurs and the way that they’re playing and how free flowing [they are].
“I honestly see Spurs continuing that. Under Ange, they’ve not flinched yet. This is probably the biggest test that he’s had, because of that rivalry and Poch and the story behind it all.
“But I do think that at this particular time just because of the form that they’re in, I think that no matter what kind of energy that Chelsea bring to the table, I think away from home it’s just a bit too soon for them.”
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