Mauricio Pochettino ban: What the Tottenham boss can and can’t do against Southampton and Liverpool

Restricted | Mauricio Pochettino will not be on the touchline at Southampton
Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I

Mauricio Pochettino will, for the first time since arriving in English football six years ago, watch his side from the stands this weekend as the Argentine serves the first of a two-match touchline ban at Southampton.

The Tottenham manager, who has expressed his dismay at the FA’s decision to hand him a two-match ban in what is his first charge since replacing Nigel Adkins on the south coast in January 2013, will be sat in the directors’ box at St. Mary’s as Spurs look to get back to winning ways in the Premier League after three without victory.

There is, at least, some good news for the Argentine. As it is Pochettino’s first charge of the season, he will, according to FA laws, still be allowed to communicate with his coaches below via phone or a runner.

Furthermore, Pochettino, whose half time team talk in the north London derby was this week described by Danny Rose as “one of the best things I have witnessed in football”, will still be able to address his players in the changing room ahead of the game and during the interval.

"Of course the players want the coach or the manager on the touchline and it's much better for communication but I have Jesus, Toni, Miki plenty of staff who can translate the same ideas and make the communication easier,” Pochettino said of his ban. “Always in football that happens around the world. I trust my people and the players are mature enough to perform in the way that we prepare or want to play."

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, the fifth appointment since Pochettino’s departure from the Saints, said it may not necessarily be a disadvantage for his counterpart to be up in the stands.

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"With the suspension, he can sit in the stands with headphones to contact the staff and has a very good view of the pitch,” The Austrian said. “It is not necessarily a disadvantage.”

Pochettino and Tottenham will consider the FA’s written reasons before deciding whether or not to appeal to have the ban reduced to one game, which could see him back on the touchline for the visit to Liverpool.

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