Pochettino takes a subtle dig at fans over Kaboul captaincy

The decision to name Younes Kaboul as club captain was one that was not especially liked by many elements of the Tottenham Hotspur supporters. One look at the Spurs Twitterverse and it's easy to find a lot of criticism about the decision.  Ahead of today's Europa League match, Pochettino commented on his decision,  explained why he named the Frenchman club captain after the departure of Michael Dawson, and basically told his critics to deal with it.

Well, we have information inside, and [it is] difficult to explain outside. And always the point of view from inside, maybe it’s different, but when we have full information and when we decide the squad and when we decide the first 11, when we decide the captain, when we decide a lot of things, it’s because we have information inside [the club].  We believe it’s the best choice and the best decision for the club and for the team.

Younes has a history in Tottenham, and [also] has the respect of all [his] teammates. But I think we want them all to show leadership in the changing room. We have a lot of players that… can be the captain, but Younes Kaboul was my first captain in our first game in America, and we are very happy with him...

I don't read, I don't take a decision for the feeling from outside the club.  Always I take a decision always with my reason and from my point of view to provide to the squad and the club the better condition.

If we pick Kaboul or Adebayor, it is because we have information from inside that this is better for the squad.

Maybe not everyone is happy with all my decisions, but in the end I am the manager and I need to choose.

In short, at least in this first season, experience matters, and Kaboul brings it. I'm of the opinion that club captaincy implies leadership on more than just the field of play. I'm also of the opinion that club captaincy is viewed from the outside with more importance than it deserves. I'm not convinced that naming Kaboul captain means that he'll be starting every match: it wasn't true with Ledley King at the end of his career and it certainly wasn't true with Michael Dawson. What we can infer from this is that Younes Kaboul, who was vice-captain last season, has the respect of his teammates, is a solid leadership presence within the club, and that Pochettino trusts him. Ultimately, that's all we really need to know for now.