Jan Vertonghen's latest comments show exactly why Tottenham need Pochettino back - Opinion
Jan Vertonghen has revealed what he and his Tottenham teammates were thinking even before they went onto the pitch when they were firing on all cylinders under Mauricio Pochettino.
The Spurs side Vertonghen was part of is still held with a lot of affection by the Tottenham fans, not only because of how good it was and the style of football they played, but also because of the spirit they showed on the pitch.
Many may assume that the best run that side had was their run to the Champions League run in 2019 or the year they were beaten to the title by Leicester City.
However, those are not the campaigns that Vertonghen has picked out as his most memorable at Tottenham.
Jan Vertonghen admits Tottenham felt unbeatable during the 2016-17 season
The Lilywhites’ highest league finish came in the 2016-17 season, when they finished second and secured 86 points.
They were beaten to the title by Antonio Conte’s Chelsea in the end, but the North Londoners went unbeaten at White Hart Lane in what was their final year in that historic stadium, winning 17 and drawing two of their league games at home that term.
When asked if he remembers a particular period when that Spurs side was at its best, Vertonghen told the club’s official website: “I do. It was not the year when we went to the Champions League final. That was 2019. I would say it was around 2016/17, and when we just went on the pitch, it was not the question of if we were going to win the game, but just how much.
“We really felt unbeatable. It took us a couple of games to get that same feeling at Wembley. At the end, we went there and created that same feeling. It was not our own stadium, but we made it our own. We had a season where we went unbeaten at home. It was the best team, the best spirit and the best physical team I’ve ever played in.”
Vertonghen says Spurs were confident but not arrogant at their best
The former Tottenham Hotspur centre-back also takes pride in the fact that the Spurs side under Pochettino was respected and liked by all of their peers.
He claimed that there was no bad character in the Tottenham dressing room at the time.
When asked about the fine line between confidence and arrogance for that Spurs side, the 38-year-old said: “I don’t think we came across as arrogant, ever. If I speak to people who are not particularly fans of Spurs, or even rivals.
“I’m not saying that’s a good thing – everyone liked us – but we didn’t have ‘dogs’ or whatever in that team. We were still a very aggressive and entertaining team to watch, very physical, but very attacking and great, great players as well.”
Rumours say that Tottenham are working around the clock to get Mauricio Pochettino back this summer. Judging by Vertonghen’s comments, you can see exactly why. If Spurs can recreate even a small slice of that quality, excitement, and togetherness again in 2026, then it needs to be done.
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