Unless Spurs match Poch’s ambition, they will lose him – and soon

Mauricio Pochettino has guided Tottenham through a turbulent part of their history and deserves to be backed accordingly in January, or else his good work could be undone.

Spurs’ long tradition as a cup team has seen supporters’ minds laced with positive memories at Wembley, but the lack of transparency with their new stadium means the “home of football” has begun to test their resolve.

While everything off-field has fallen by the wayside, the one gloss amid the rubble is the consistently brilliant Argentine head coach, Mauricio Pochettino.

Just as fans’ patience is beginning to thin with the club’s dealings, it’s hard to envisage that the 46-year-old is over the moon with Daniel Levy et al.

Arguably rocked most by post-World Cup fatigue, Pochettino has drafted in young guns and fiddled with shape enough to bypass trouble and come out the other end of competitive games with very positive results.

So while his presence is keeping Spurs afloat in a sea of uncertainty, his future as boss may come into the spotlight even more as vacancies begin to open up – particularly jobs that have a history of being well-equipped with transfer money aplenty.

While Manchester United is not the ideal situation for anyone to walk into, especially in light of Chris Smalling inking a new deal, the room to build on what is already a better squad than Mourinho ever allowed it to be is very much there.

It is a fair assessment to say that Tottenham is a better environment at this moment in time, but Old Trafford still has a lure to it, despite recent shortcomings and Pochettino is a career man rather than someone who deals strictly in sentiment.

If January comes and goes without comings and goings, then his sentiment will be pushed to the limit.

After all, the squad that the Argentine has assembled for a tiny net spend in comparison to his competitors is remarkable. So the question remains: what more could he possibly achieve when the funding simply isn’t there for him to push the Arab-funded might of Manchester City and the new wave of Anfield heroics?

Real Madrid are known to be keen on his services and while they’re currently performing way below the lofty expectations set for them by president and board, with a tricky tie against Ajax to contend with in the Champions League, an opening could pop up just after a barren transfer window in north London.

While the board are trying to build a stadium, Pochettino is trying to build an empire out of raw materials. Commercially, Tottenham are trying to sort checks and balances but their attention should be on the superpower they could become on the pitch with a little more commitment.

After all, the brand of football Pochettino has installed on the pitch is worth more than the grass it’s being played on.

Granted, the super-slick surface could be a godsend to the club long-term, but it won’t be put to much use if Alan Pardew is bringing in Wilfried Zaha to lead the line.

Spurs will do well to accept the privileged situation they’re in – having one of the best managerial commodities in the world – and compensate him with the financial backing he deserves to improve both his side and his own standing in global football.