Mauricio Pochettino, surely, would be unable to resist taking another of his post-game photographs should Tottenham Hotspur burst wide open the race for a Champions League place with victory at Old Trafford tomorrow.
The Tottenham head coach is compiling an album of what he calls “special moments” with the club he joined last summer and to draw level on points with Manchester United would be special, not least because results away from home against the bigger clubs in the Barclays Premier League have been underwhelming.
Spurs lost at the Etihad, at Anfield and at Stamford Bridge, but their run-in appears less onerous than that facing Louis van Gaal and for Tottenham to finish the season above United would be particularly significant, given that Van Gaal was top of Daniel Levy’s wish list once it became clear that the chairman did not want to build the club around Tim Sherwood.
There are more subtle indicators, too, that Pochettino might consider adding to that album. Under his tutelage at Southampton, Luke Shaw emerged as a potential England star and was snapped up by United.
Since his £30million transfer, however, the 19-year-old has made only 16 appearances and would not be the best English left back on display should he feature at Old Trafford tomorrow. That accolade goes, according to Pochettino, to Danny Rose.
Advertisement
“It’s our job to compare our players with other players in the same position and we believe that Danny Rose has so far been the best English left back,” the Spurs head coach said.
Leighton Baines, of Everton, might seek to disagree. No other defender in Europe creates more chances than the Everton left back, but it is clear that Shaw has not flourished since his move away from the nurturing of both Southampton and Pochettino, who was in no mood to give Van Gaal any tips on how to get the best out of the defender.
“It is difficult to explain our method [with young players]” Pochettino said. “I think it is important to give opportunities to the young players if they have the talent and deserve to play.”
Rose, meanwhile, is being wooed by the Jamaica FA, although Roy Hodgson will be at Old Trafford to cast his eye over his options for the forthcoming Euro 2016 qualifying match against Lithuania at Wembley and, should the England manager select the 24-year-old, that budding romance will be cut short.
This is new territory for Pochettino, who has a relatively relaxed schedule now that Spurs have been knocked out of the Europa League. He says that he would rather be still competing in the competition and spent Thursday evening watching coverage of the ties as well as Premier League Darts.
Advertisement
With Ángel Di María suspended tomorrow, United’s main threat, arguably, is posed by Marouane Fellaini.
“I know all about him because when I first arrived in the Premier League our opening game was against Everton at St Mary’s Stadium,” Pochettino said. “He started to play like a number 10, then a number 9, a number 8, a number 5, always changing and everywhere. But the way that we play is to try and keep possession of the ball and stop him and Manchester United getting it.”
•Tottenham can press on with plans for a new stadium after a local business, Archway Sheet Metal Works, ended a legal battle to keep its land adjacent to White Hart Lane. The site is the final plot required for a 56,000-seat stadium. Tottenham must now secure funding, a naming rights partner and a temporary home for at least one season. Wembley and the Olympic Stadium are options.