Pochettino piles pressure on starlet Marcus Edwards

Mauricio Pochettino has already put Marcus Edwards in elite company

If Mauricio Pochettino’s intention was to dampen enthusiasm around Tottenham starlet Marcus Edwards, he did an exceedingly poor job yesterday. All the Spurs boss did was compare the diminutive attacker to Lionel Messi and Erik Lamela.

In all fairness, Pochettino also made sure to mention that he only thought Edwards was similar to his countrymen in terms of their style of play. Even so, it’s clear that he has high hopes for Edwards’ future at Tottenham.

When you watch the tiny midfielder play, it’s easy to get excited. He utilizes exceptionally close control of the ball to create havoc for opposing defenders. That, combined with his low center of gravity allows him to slither into the box to create a multitude of scoring chances for his side.

Tottenham fans who haven’t seen him play yet, could see him get his senior debut against Gillingham today. Pochettino didn’t commit to giving Edwards his debut, but he certainly left the door open to do so.

Even if Edwards does play well today, don’t expect to see him parlay his performance into a Premier League debut anytime soon. Pochettino is blessed with quite a few options in the attacking midfield, so he can afford to bring on the English starlet slowly.

On the other hand, the Tottenham manager isn’t afraid to give young players significant playing time if he believes they can handle it. If Edwards can put together a string of consistent performances when given opportunities, he may be able to crack Pochettino’s squad later in the season.

Don’t expect the Marcus Edwards hype train to stop anytime soon. Especially if Pochettino continues to compare him to the likes of Messi and Lamela. Perhaps next week Edwards will ascend to the level of Pele and Maradona.