Ange Postecoglou has called for Tottenham fans to show respect to Mauricio Pochettino when he returns to his former club with Chelsea on Monday.
Blues boss Pochettino will be back at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the first time since his sacking in 2019.
The Argentine enjoyed a largely successful five-year spell with Tottenham and guided them to their first Champions League final just months before his dismissal by chairman Daniel Levy.
When Tottenham were looking for a new manager in the close-season, Pochettino was linked with a return to the club after his departure from Paris Saint-Germain.
Get all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!
But Tottenham hired Postecoglou from Celtic and Pochettino opted to join his old team’s London rivals, raising the possibility that Spurs fans will give the 51-year-old a hostile reception.
“No one likes to be reunited with an ex, especially when your ex is with someone now that you hate, but are you hopeful Spurs fans won’t show hostility towards Mauricio Pochettino?” one reporter asked.
Postecoglou said he hopes Pochettino is afforded a show of respect from the stands.
“Jeez, that is a lot to take in,” Postecoglou said, laughing.
“Thankfully those sort of days are well past me. I think your reference is to Mauricio right?
“Look, it is undoubted that he had an unbelievable impact on this football club.
“He almost took the club to the ultimate summit of the Champions League, got close to the league, so his work is unquestioned.
“Everyone I speak to around here, there are still people who worked with him, they can’t speak highly enough of him as a person and as a manager.
“I doubt there will be anything but respect for Mauricio from anyone at this football club, supporters or people associated, but it doesn’t mean he will get a guard of honour on Monday night because we want to win.
“I don’t think he would expect that, but his tenure here and impact here is undeniable and will stand the test of time.”
Postecoglou has made a flying start at Tottenham, leading his unbeaten side to the top of the Premier League with eight wins from 10 games.
In stark contrast to the Australian’s instant impact, Pochettino has suffered plenty of teething problems at Chelsea.
Despite spending more than £350 million ($664 million AUD) on new signings during the close-season, Pochettino’s injury-hit team are languishing in 11th place after only three league wins.
Asked to assess Pochettino’s predicament, Postecoglou offered support for the Argentine.
“What I know is you don’t really know what challenges exist until you’re in it,” he said.
“What I have to deal with and what Mauricio has to deal with are probably very, very different, but in essence what we are trying to do is the same thing: build a team that we believe can bring success.
“You look at Mauricio’s track record and I’ve got no doubt he’ll get Chelsea on the right path, I’ve no doubt about that.”
POCHETTINOS’ BIG PRAISE FOR ‘CONTENDERS’ TOTTENHAM UNDER ANGE
Elsewhere, Pochettino said he believes Premier League leaders Tottenham are genuine title contenders as he braces himself for a return to his former club as Chelsea boss.
Pochettino made his name as one of the world’s leading managers during his five years in charge of Spurs between 2014 and 2019.
He led the club to their first Champions League final and four consecutive top-four finishes in the Premier League.
However, the Argentine was not able to end Spurs’ trophy drought that stretches back to 2008.
Current Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou is off to the best start of any new manager in the Premier League after taking 26 from a possible 30 points in his first 10 games.
Spurs have not won the English top flight since 1961, but Pochettino said they have to be taken seriously as contenders.
“Ange and the coaching staff, they are doing a fantastic job and then of course very good players, very good team,” said Pochettino. “You can feel they can be a contender.
“Of course it’s early in the season but they are showing the quality to be contenders.”
It remains to be seen what kind of reception awaits Pochettino at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Spurs had struggled badly in the time between his surprise sacking four years ago and the arrival of Postecoglou.
But his decision to return to the Premier League at a London rival has not gone down well with some sections of the Spurs support.
“The most important thing is people know that we cannot forget all that we lived together, amazing memories there,” he said.
“I am going to respect the people however they are going to express (their feelings), but it’s not going to change my emotion, my view, my feelings about a club that I think we spend an unbelievable journey (with).
“I am back after four years in a place that we have amazing memories, we created amazing memories together. I think it’s special, I’m not going to lie.”
City dominate United in Manchester derby | 01:27
Pochettino has not enjoyed such a special start to life at Stamford Bridge. Despite another record splurge on new players in the transfer market, Chelsea sit 11th in the table, 14 points behind of Tottenham.
But the Blues could be boosted by the return of captain Reece James to the starting line-up in the Premier League for the first time since the opening weekend of the season.
James played the first hour of Wednesday’s 2-0 League Cup last-16 win over Blackburn.
“I think it was good for him to start the game and to feel him there again after a few months for the team, because he is our captain and he is a very important player,” added Pochettino.
“Now we need to assess him, if he’s ready or not to start on Monday.”
Discussion about this post