Former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara jokes Mauricio Pochettino would be shocked to see that Ben Davies and Eric Dier are still at Spurs if the former boss returns to North London, speaking to talkSPORT (8 March, 11pm).
No fewer than eight of the players included in the squad for that Champions League final defeat at Liverpool back in 2019 are still contracted to Tottenham Hotspur. Which would be fine, if so many of them hadn’t declined or plateaued over the last three years.
Lucas Moura, Davinson Sanchez and the loaned-out Harry Winks, for instance. And ask yourself this; how many other so-called ‘elite-level’ clubs would continue to stumble on with Eric Dier and Ben Davies part of their first-choice backline?
The demands for Pochettino’s return only increased in volume and intensity following Wednesday’s limp Champions League exit at the hands of AC Milan; the Argentine’s name ringing out amongst a disenchanted home support at full-time.
O’Hara would love to see ‘Poch’ return, and suggests the former PSG boss will be stunned by the lack of high-quality investment in the playing staff during the Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte eras.
WILL MAURICIO POCHETTINO REPLACE ANTONIO CONTE AT TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR?
“Get him back now!,” O’Hara says. “(Pochettino is) going to look at Ben Davies and Eric Dier and say; ‘How are they still here?’ He is going to look at the dressing room and say; ‘What has changed’?”
Tottenham’s insipid display against an average Milan side was typical of their season. Their third 1-0 defeat in a row. A performance in which Spurs barely mustered a shot of note, Harry Kane little more than a frustrated spectator.
Cristiano Romero’s most needless and suicidal of sending offs at least showed a bit of bite. Which is more than can be said for many of his team-mates.
“It really is too much. You are expecting a big result tonight, on the front foot, a bit of passion,” O’Hara sighs. “It just wasn’t there!
“I am getting sick to death of talking about it. It is hard to talk about it because you build yourself up. And, truthfully, you just want to see the team play well.
“No fight, no passion, no desire.”
