EPL: Mauricio Pochettino vs Pep Guardiola, Harry Kane, Tottenham comments ‘very disrespectful’
TOTTENHAM boss Mauricio Pochettino has lashed Pep Guardiola over comments he made about Spurs and Harry Kane, with the Manchester City manager responding shortly after.
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MAURICIO Pochettino accused Pep Guardiola of being disrespectful after the Manchester City manager claimed Harry Kane’s prolific form is the only reason for Tottenham Hotspur’s success.
Kane has scored 11 goals in his last six appearances for Spurs to keep Pochettino’s side in touch with Premier League leaders City. The 24-year-old also scored England’s winning goals in their recent World Cup qualifiers against Slovenia and Lithuania.
Speaking during the international break, City boss Guardiola said: “We saw again the Harry Kane team scores every day two or three goals”.
Pochettino didn’t take kindly to Guardiola’s taunt and the Tottenham manager hit back by pointing out that goals from Lionel Messi were the driving force behind the Spaniard’s trophy-laden spell at Barcelona.
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“That didn’t affect me but the reality is it was very disrespectful for many people,” Pochettino said on Friday.
“It’s difficult to understand because he was part of the big success at Barcelona with Messi at his best, and I never said it was ‘the Messi team’. I always said it was Barcelona or Pep Guardiola.
“I think everyone deserves to be recognised as part of the success of the team. But I think many people took those words as very disrespectful for the club, and for many players that are here I think it’s a strange situation.”
Tottenham, who host Bournemouth on Saturday, trail City by five points in the Premier League.
City consolidated pole position with an impressive win at champions Chelsea before the international period and Pochettino suggested that result might have sparked Guardiola’s Kane comment.
“When it’s exciting after an amazing victory against Chelsea, sometimes he can struggle to keep his position and be a gentleman,” Pochettino said.
“I think it’s a sad comment because the players laugh about that. If you’re a manager you must show more, no? To be above this type of comment.
“That is my opinion, like I respect his opinion but I think the players, more motivated or less motivated? I think it’s the same.
“It’s sad and it’s not right in football. Today we want to show respect, fair play and everything.”
Asked if he had spoken to Guardiola personally, Pochettino added: “No, of course not. He hasn’t called me yet.
“Maybe after the press conference he calls me. I’m sure I will reply.”
GUARDIOLA RESPONDS
“I was never disrespectful to my colleague. I was never disrespectful in a press conference. Never,” Guardiola said at a press conference, after Pochettino’s angry address.
“When I talked about Harry Kane’s team, it was because Harry Kane was scoring a lot of goals.
“And I know perfectly that Tottenham are not Harry Kane alone.” Guardiola, whose side are top of the Premier League ahead of Saturday’s game against Stoke City, said he has always been quick to give credit to Tottenham, who finished second last season, one place above City.
“I think last season, the person who spoke most about appreciating the way Tottenham play was me,” Guardiola said.
“When they lost to Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final last season, I said it was incredible, because Chelsea had four shots on target and scored four goals.
“As I said, Tottenham are one of the best teams playing. So I’m really disappointed if he said that.
“I don’t know what he said, but I was never disrespectful about my colleagues. “I respect a lot what Tottenham have done in the last two or three years. There is a lot of credit in the way they play, in the way they want to show their football in the Premier League, the way they are always attacking.”
Guardiola thought he had a good relationship with the Tottenham manager, who he believes must have misunderstood his comments.
“Maybe I should say Pochettino’s team when I said Harry Kane’s team,” Guardiola said.
“But I said it because he scored two goals more against Huddersfield and a goal for the national team and another goal for the national team.
“I think Mauricio has made a mistake. Never in my career have I not been respectful.
“Maybe I can answer something where I attack my team or my club, but never would I be disrespectful about Mauricio or Tottenham.”
Guardiola, meanwhile, is hopeful that City midfielder David Silva will agree a new contract soon.
Silva, who has scored 51 times in 315 games for City since arriving from Valencia in 2010, has just under two years left on his current contract.
He is expected to sign an extension through to 2020, with director of football Txiki Begiristain leading the negotiations.
“It’s about Txiki but I think we’d like him to stay,” he said.
Originally published as EPL: Mauricio Pochettino vs Pep Guardiola, Harry Kane, Tottenham comments ‘very disrespectful’
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