Midfielder puts Tottenham failure down to Pochettino changing his role in the team

 

Brazilian midfielder Paulinho doesn’t blame himself for his early departure from Tottenham Hotspur.

The player was signed for €20m from Corinthians in 2013, and arrived surrounded by big expectations due to his potential shown in the Copa Libertadores and Club World Cup the year before.

Sold to Chinese side Gangzhou Evergrande for €14m in 2015, Paulinho spent only two seasons at Tottenham, a period which can be described as good and bad.

In an interview with Brazilian newspaper O Globo, the midfielder spoke about his career, as he continues to be part of the national team after being called up by Tite, the man who managed him at Corinthians.

As Paulinho brought up Tottenham in one of the answers, O Globo asked what went wrong there and if he regrets making the move to England.

“I think my first season at Tottenham was very good,” Paulinho told O Globo. “In the second, there was a change of manager, who had the option of putting another player in my place.

“I do not really like to talk about it, but with the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino, I only had two opportunities playing in my role, when, coincidentally or not, I was voted the best on the pitch.

“In the other games with him, I played as an advanced midfielder or a left winger. Even so, I tried to do my best, because I’m trying to do what I’m asked to do. It did not happen as I imagined, but life goes on.”

In only three games for Gangzhou at this start of season, Paulinho already scored three goals and made one assist. Life seems to be much better in China for him, but given the statistics he’s getting for Gangzhou, perhaps Pochettino was right to push the Brazilian further forward at Tottenham.