Ian Holloway has expressed his sympathy for Mauricio Pochettino, but wonders whether he wants to stay at Tottenham.
The Spurs boss has been far from his lighthearted self so far this season with reports of player unrest seemingly affecting team performances.
Defeat against Colchester United on Tuesday night made things worse and left the Argentine questioning his players' togetherness as they prepare to take on Southampton this weekend.
Holloway was keen to enforce that he's a fan of Pochettino, but speaking to The Sack Race said that something isn't right.
Holloway said: “I think that was very, very poignant. I think that’s the issue behind it all. You’ve got to bear in mind that he’s toed the line for that club, over and over again. He didn’t sign anyone last season, which was down to the new stadium.
“I think Pochettino understands that for Tottenham to move forward they needed that ground, but when that was all completed I then felt there was then a huge issue because of how he publicly spoke about his contract - as a manager you aren’t normally allowed to talk about your contracts!
“I’ve never heard any of the other top managers ever say something like that.
“Have you ever heard Sir Alex Ferguson not answer a transfer question, and instead say ‘look at my contract, that is not in my contract’? It’s not a normal state of play.
“I hope for Tottenham’s sake that Pochettino stays there, and everything gets resolved. I think he’s a fantastic manager, I really do. I think he has Spurs at heart, he cares about his players, he plays the high-pressing modern way. He’s excellent. But as a manager, things can get to you.
“You wonder whether deep down does he want to stay in England? Or does he want to go and manage a top club in Europe? Could he be tempted by Real Madrid?
“I’d love to interview him and ask him these questions! All I do know is there is something not quite right there at the moment.”
