Pocchetino must shoulder blame for Tottenham's failure in Europe

Tottenham's exit from the Champions League in the round of 16 was a close affair. Had a Harry Kane header not bounced off the goal post it could have easily been 2-2 and heading into extra time. If the tie did head into extra time you would have to give the slight edge to the home team. You'd imagine the Wembley crowd and the sense of occasion would have pushed them across the line.

Did he make the best decisions?

Tottenham can hold their heads high, they drew 2-2 at Juventus in a enthralling game. Many said - and rightly so that Tottenham had the edge going into their second leg at home.

Eriksen scored the equaliser in the first leg

Although the overall performance of the team was good, there was one key error Pocchetino made that arguably decided this tie. Erik Lamela is a good footballer, there is no doubting his technical abilities. Initially brought in from Roma to rebuild the Tottenham squad after selling Gareth Bale to Real Madrid. He has had his moments but injuries and lack of form have seen his influence diminish.

Forgotten man Lamela made a start against Juventus

There was nothing terrible about the man's performance but nothing that stood out either. You can see the argument for playing Lamela, as mentioned already he has history in the Serie A. He knows what it's like to play against a Italian team and has previously scored against Juventus.

However let's juxtapose that with the performance of Son Heung Min against Juventus. The man responded by being dropped for the first leg in the best way possible. Coming out to score the first goal of the match and causing the Juventus defense all sorts of problems. His pace and drive causing the likes of Barzagli and Chiellini all manner of headaches. Some might say that Pocchetino wanted to be more compact away from home but Lamela isn't a defensive workhorse either. There was scope in his system for an attacking player and he chose Lamela over Son for the first leg.

Scored the first goal of the match

There's no way of knowing how Son would have performed in the first leg. Judging by the evidence on the second match it seems that if he had played another 90 minutes there is a high chance he could have influenced things more positively.

There's also no way of knowing if other managers in Pocchettino's shoes would have made the same decision. It is his and his decision alone. Fair enough but it's hard to imagine the other 15 top managers in the world (out of the 16 teams left in the Champions league) throwing in a player that is lacking match fitness and potentially confidence in his own ability. There is the example of Adam Lallana (just returning from injury) at Liverpool, Klopp hasn't thrown him back into the action and not least the most important match of the season. Such risky moves must be backed by results, Zidane - who has been under pressure all season left out Bale, Modric and Toni Kroos against PSG. They progress to the quarter finals and in a stressful season, the France and Real Madrid legend got it right when it mattered. If they had lost in Paris you can bet Les Guillotine would have fallen on his managerial career.

Zidane wards off the executioner for now

The Champions League is the highest level of football. Everything is laid bare from the strengths all the way down to the weaknesses. The hope for Tottenham is that they and their manager will learn. They have been given the harshest of lessons. It's also harsh to criticise a manager that's rightly praised for doing a great job for the club. It will be a bitter pill to swallow, the old saying is whatever doesn't kill you can only make you stronger.
To one day reach the level of Juventus and Real Madrid, to find a way to win when it matters the most.