Spurs News

Spurs Star Would Like Some More Holiday Time Under Poch

|

It looks like Jan Vertonghen is angling for a bit more holiday time under the manager.

Our no.5 has been talking about how hard Pochettino`s training sessions are, and has questioned why he doesn`t give the players more time off like Guardiola. He told Belgian newspaper La Derniere Heure (translated by Sport Witness):

‘Footballers cannot complain, we don`t have to travel that much, and our work days do not last that long, usually we have to be at the club around 9am and we`re back home for 3pm. It`s a good life. The negative point is that we rarely have several days off in a row. Guardiola sometimes offers breaks of 4-5 days to his players but our coach is someone who wants to train hard and a lot.’

Our manager is a hard taskmaster, and I don`t think any player, no matter how senior, will change his training methods. Jan`s words sound like he maybe being a bit critical of Poch, but I don`t think he was saying it in that way. Every player would like a few more days off, and every manager has their good and bad points.

The Belgian has gone from strength to strength under the Argentine`s tutelage in recent years and is almost the complete defender. I`m sure he appreciates that a big part of that has been due to the tough training sessions he has been part of under the manager in the last four years. The qualities he offers the team are invaluable, and the fact that we have the third best defensive record in the league is in no small part down to him.

He especially deserves praise for how he`s dealt with the absence of Toby this season. Without his countryman alongside him, he has aided Sanchez`s adaptation to the Premier League, which has proven to be very successful. His experience has been critical in keeping clean sheets and allowing his Colombian centre back partner to flourish without many bumps along the way.

The manager mentioned back in February that the club feel the 30 year old “needs to be rewarded” for his efforts on the pitch, indicating a contract extension is in the works. With his current deal up in 2019, I`m hoping the centre back signs on the dotted line for us sooner rather than later. How long a contract would you give Jan? Let me know in the poll.

Share this article