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The referee taking the Michael
Mauricio Pochettino is funny. The Spurs boss is normally calm after a defeat and gets upset after a win, which perhaps shows that he really thinks what he is saying and that this match has not been different.
The Argentine is much less reluctant to criticize the referees than his counterparts in the league, but when it happened another decision by Michael Oliver that annoyed him, he just had to give up.
His Heung-min certainly made the most of Harry Maguire's challenge at first, but deciding it was a dive and booking the South Korean star was just an "unbelievable" stretch for Pochettino.
What was most telling, and probably omitted or ignored by Oliver, was that Maguire was pointing out of the box immediately after Son hit the bridge, trying to tell the referee that the free kick had to be taken and not not penalized. He later changed his mind to claim that the Spurs man was diving after Oliver pointed his finger in the other direction.
Leicester then had a penalty kick at the other end for what appeared to be minimal contact when Jan Vertonghen and James Maddison met to send Pochettino over the chasm. He then went on to mention another big goof from Oliver Wembley earlier in the season.
"Today, do you think Sonny deserved to be booked? Incredible, incredible, unbelievable. When you compare the situation with the penalty against us, incredible," he said.
"The problem is that I told Michael Oliver, Liverpool's situation at the last minute should be a penalty [when Son was brought down by Mane], maybe 2-2, maybe 2-1, but it was a clear penalty.
"It was the same referee but now I do not know how he measured the situation.It is so difficult.I am a person who always accepts the mistake but I think that it is was so strange the situation today. "
"Today 's stance with Sonny was so clear, but Maddison' s position was not clear either when he was on the ground, I think it is unbelievable.
"I'm more relaxed because we won the match, we got three important points, but we're disappointed with the situation because everyone wants to talk about different clubs or players, but do you think we're a team that try to deceive the referee? Come on, we are the most innocent people on the ground ".
It was a tough day for the Spurs with Oliver. They did not get a free kick until the 52nd minute of the match. When he came, he was accompanied by a great cheer from the Wembley crowd.
Pochettino, known in his day as a defender, was more than happy to use the black art of football. He often complains that his team is too kind on the pitch.
Referees, Michael Oliver in particular, seem to disagree.
Lloris stands out
The role of Hugo Lloris as guardian of the sweepers means that he will make mistakes from time to time. Maybe these mistakes mean that he's never really recognized for what he's accomplished and what he's capable of doing in the game.
"For me, Hugo is one of the best goalkeepers in the world, of course he showed at the World Cup by raising the trophy and in five, six years here with Tottenham," he said. said Pochettino.
"It was essential today.When you need this type of performance from your best player, it's a fantastic feeling and he's going to feel great now because he's helped the three-point team. "
Normally not known for penalty breakouts, Lloris was forced on Wembley to correctly guess and repel Jamie Vardy's kick that would have leveled the mark.
About five minutes later, Harvey Barnes found himself free and unmarked in the Tottenham area. The French pushed his foot to prevent the shooting of young midfielder of the Foxes team to cross the line, in the manner of David De Gea.
In a season in which Paulo Gazzaniga's performances, mainly in the cup competitions, increased pressure on Tottenham's number one, some fans called for a change of stick.
However, Lloris would have to run a series of horror shows for Pochettino to even think about removing his captain from the team.
There is a lot of mutual respect between the World Cup winner and the Tottenham manager.
Lloris has had the opportunity to leave the club over the years, but he remains faithful to the Pochettino project, believing in the final match.
There are far more important stops on the part of the Frenchman than kicking blunders or errant strokes out of his surface.
"I think it shows its value and in decisive moments," said Pochettino. "His quality is there and we can not doubt it."
Lighting madness
This has been the season of circumstances. This is Pochettino's favorite word and Tottenham has received more than any other team and we will not list all the problems here yet.
However, the club could have been a little better helped with timing of matches, either because of the broadcasting companies involved or the dislike of the Premier League to say no to changes to the list .
Premier League leaders from other leagues often say that in their previous working countries everything was done to give their teams more rest before the European competition.
In England, it seems to be the opposite. The English teams going far in the Champions League are an excellent advertisement for the Premier League, but that does not seem to be taken into account.
Pochettino has insisted at length that he could not understand why, after a break of a week, Spurs was scheduled to play his match Sunday against the last 16 Champions League clashes against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.
Here is each word of Pochettino's thought on the subject.
"I've already told your colleague how much I'm upset.I'm so embarrbaded because I can accept to play today if Dortmund is playing today, then Wednesday, but I do not understand not why we play with a huge disadvantage, "he said. I said.
"Twenty-four hours in this type of competition, the last 16, is a huge disadvantage.This does not mean that we will not be competitive.For me, I'm going to stop describing the actual situation, but I think that there is no sense.
"It's so hard to understand why, while we had a week to play this game and schedule it another day, and it's me who explains my feelings and the difficulty of preparing a game when it does not. is that today then you are going to need to play.
"We come from a very difficult time.In England, it is a busy Christmas period.It is in January that the clubs in Germany, Spain or Italy enjoy the holidays and get Therefore, if you can be of a similar level, you must play with the same situation, which is why I feel so disappointed, I do not use it as an excuse.
"I will not explain any more.I think that today will be the last time I will complain and hope you describe and send the right message, not" Pochettino crying ". only the situation.
"I think you understand very well my feelings and those of the staff and the players, but you know that this does not mean that we will play differently, we believe that we can win and beat them. our best, being competitive and getting in our best form, but of course I have to describe the situation, if not who supports us?
"During this season, we are fighting in a lot of circumstances and that's one more … Remember when we faced Manchester City on a Monday and West Ham at the Carabao Cup London Stadium on Wednesday." evening and Wednesday night!
"People talk about this team, but my players are heroes, what happens at the end of the season, we'll remember, if we win a title, in the story but otherwise, in history too because all the circumstances against the way we fight and show the character is amazing
Pochettino has already described how he created a bubble in Spurs to try to keep all the outside circumstances and the energy of the team and fight in it.
It's a scenario between them and us, but very different from the one that José Mourinho employs. At the moment, with the Spurs at just five points off the standings, he seems to be succeeding the round.
Beautiful moussa
The transformation of Moussa Sissoko continues at the same pace.
The Spurs fans were chanting his name in the final minutes as he embarked on a series of heartbreaking tracks, challenge after challenge, in order to release the pressure valve on Leicester's attacks and place the ball in the air. Another end of the field.
Sissoko sealed an energetic and selfless display with the curling ball on Son's trajectory that escaped the Foxes defense and sent the South Korean striker about to score Tottenham's third goal.
The Frenchman is now among the first names on the scoresheet. Even fans who once caught Sissoko's mistakes are now having trouble hiding compliments.
The midfielder has found his place alongside Pochettino, he knows his business to the letter and, in the same way that N & # 39; Golo Kante covers everyone in Chelsea, as he did in Leicester , the name of Sissoko on the match sheet amounts to an 11th place. and 12th man there, a complete contrast to the days when he was considered a pbadenger.
While Harry Winks was tired in the last stages of the game after another hard-hitting performance, Sissoko seemed to become stronger, outshooting his opponents as it was about flies to eliminate.
It is normal that in a campaign where Tottenham had to fight against everything that had been thrown at them, Sissoko has undoubtedly become the star of the season.
He took everything that happened to him – criticism, abuse on social networks, loss of self-confidence, being excluded from the French team winning the World Cup – and he came out stronger for that.
Pochettino loves the professionalism of midfield and is a popular player within tight Tottenham's squad.
If you had told anyone, 18 months ago, that Moussa Sissoko would be the key man in the Tottenham midfielder, you would have made fun of yourself.
It's not only that now, but he's really lucky to be named the club's player of the year at the end, though his last three months are as good as the others.
Contrasting fortunes
When Tottenham and Dortmund meet on Wednesday night, it will be a different scenario that will confront the men of Pochettino to the sadness announced a few weeks ago.
When the draw for the last 16 editions of the Champions League took place on December 17, many of them took their breath away. Dortmund was leading the Bundesliga and Tottenham had a huge challenge.
However, since that day, the club's fortunes have been somewhat mixed.
Due to the German winter break, Dortmund only played seven times, winning just three of those matches, two losses and two draws.
Tottenham took part in exactly double that number of games, having played 14 times since the draw. Despite the loss of Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Son during this period, they have won 10 of these matches, losing two league games and two draws in cup.
It should also be noted the number of goals scored, despite the main absences, which have scored 34 goals in the nets in these 14 matches since the last draw.
His son is back and has scored in each of the three games since returning from the Asian Cup, which has earned him 10 goals in his last 10 games for the Spurs. He also knows very well what it takes to face the Bundesliga after his years spent at Bayer Leverkusen and before joining the Hamburg Academy at the age of 16.
There are also rumors that a certain Harry Kane could still make an appearance on the bench.
Pochettino said the February 23 Burnley game might be a more realistic return date, but Kane's presence on the bench would send a powerful message to his opponents – a machine that would come back a month earlier than expected.
With or without him, the Spurs are doing well now. They scored four goals on the Premier League podium and all scored late goals thanks to a real fighting spirit within the camp.
Dortmund will present a difficult test, but this side Pochettino does not fear anyone.
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