Just appoint him
Spurs News 24/7So what's going on?
Not a lot. Practically nothing. Unless you're the type that welcomes agent fuelled transfer talk and pretend that prior quotes from a potential new coach and their extended footballing family never happened whilst you lap up the new ones.
Chronicle every week since the end of the season (or even before it finished) till the present day and any selected individual will have contradicted themselves half a dozen times whilst the media covering the story simply share the new version of it without re-visiting the older ones.
It's a bit like the two paragraphs above. The same statement, dressed up differently twice.
It's all part of the game that is constantly played. Questions are asked and the answers can be pulled out of context and managers that don't want to be dismissive of being linked to Tottenham will be supremely ambiguous with their response. Others, outsiders with influence, will add their opinion to it and fuel the story further. Whilst in reality, there probably isn't half as much chaos as the headlines suggest.
Currently, arguably, it seems like we don't know what the club is doing and who they're after. Ignore the ITK club insiders as they are about as lifeless as Danny Rose's concentration. They echo what we can already figure out for ourselves. A chess board only has 32 pieces.
Add agents into the mix and then it gets really messy. Away from the managerial headaches, the recent Sandro quotes have been completely blown out of proportion, with onlookers forgetting that it is in the agents best interest to spike up suitors for his client because that's when the agent is going to make a million or so thanks to commission. Similar BS with Paulinho recently too.
Sandro, considering his lack of consistency and his injury, should look to pay back some of the hits and re-tweets we've given his Instagram and Twitter account to the Spurs faithful than flirt with the idea of continental football in a shirt that has no cockerel on it.
Talking of which, Heurelho Gomes is finally leaving the club, so we'll miss his occasional cameo appearance in the background at Sandro's home. A great shot-stopping goalkeeper at his best - his performances in 2010 were at times stunning. The comedy interludes sadly remain more prominent in the minds of most.
Supposedly signing 'the next big thing' is another popular crutch during these lonely weeks of no news. New shirts for next season also leaked. It hardly constitutes a leak when they've been shared across Social Media for days and the changes are subtle, so much so, I can't even complain too hard about them as I did once upon a time. I remember blogging about the yellow streaks on one of the home shirts. These-days, a new shirt(s) arrives every season and it serves well as another cash-cow for the club, so good luck to them. Shame about the red AIA sponsor (I can't even muster anger with this as red appears to be fixed to us thanks to its ghastly presence that makes it easy to see - hence why it accompanies so many of our recent shirt deals) but aside from that, the white shirt looks a-okay. The collar in particular.
As for the Ashley Cole free transfer discussion. Please, it's not that hot that you've all suffered from heat stroke.
'Would you have him at Spurs?'
'Er, yeah, cause Danny Rose is rubbish'
Honestly? Really?
Given the chance, no, I don't want him at my club. Much like the disenchantment I've had for England thanks to players like Terry, Lampard, Gerrard and others (Cole included) I would not like to see him in my shirt. Gallas and Adebayor signed for Tottenham, with no option given to me for rejection so you naturally accept them over time (as much as you can possibly accept ex-scum) but it still isn't right. Suggesting Cole has experience and a winning mentality is cheap rationalising. We have a director of football, a team of scouts and the planet earth and we're going to consider an old player that might not have the right attitude because of the success (and money) achieved in his past and do what? Sign him as another interim to a long term problem?
Redknapp's old man transfer trend to plug a hole shouldn't be completely ignored but it was a strategy that Levy wasn't fond of and one that left us with the problem of replacing them with better (younger) options. Spurs do need players that have a winning mentality. Leaders of men. I just don't happen to believe this is confined to free transfers where said player is no longer good enough for them, but acceptable (supposedly) to us.
Full circle. All of this is filler compared to the continued noise around the lack of activity with the new coach appointment. The negations are hardly going to take place live on Sky Sports.
The summer is here (in cameo format) and there's no expected repeat of the Tottenham heatwave of last year. The skies remain dark and brooding with every day akin to a thousand year prison sentence as we wait for news of change so that we can return to the mortal version of June to August, and worry more about sun-tan lotion than lack of managerial motion.
I'm sure rival supporters struggle in the same way, waiting for news of potential new signings. The World Cup is a wonderful distraction but one I'd like to enjoy without having to bite my nails because of Spurs. Such is the madness, some are suggesting the club is waiting to see if Real Madrid fail to win the Champions League because this might lead to Carlo Ancelotti's dismissal, so obviously, he's bound to come to Spurs.
Manchester United finally appointed Louis van Gaal and their fan-base is positively beaming. It's exciting, thanks mainly in comparison to the dour performance of David Moyes. They've been instantly rebooted because of the faith instilled by name only (for now) with van Gaal's mentally good CV and massive grapefruits. You'd think after the season we've had we'd also be hopeful of experiencing a joyful smile but alas, no.
See, we can't commit to boisterous emotions yet because what we're waiting to see happen hasn't happened and what might happen scares some of our fan-base. Many are saying our coaching targets are getting less exclusive and glamorous with each passing week. From van Gaal to Rafa Benitez to Frank de Boer to Mauricio Pochettino to Roberto Mancini to...and so on. Some are blaming Levy for not attaining a signature on a pre-contract (although most of the targets are in contract with other clubs, so this complaint might be van Gaal only related).
It's all just media speculation with everyone reacting to third-party comments that are suggestive in tone, allowing for tenuous links to evolve into considered options. Even Claudio Ranieri was linked - simply because Monaco sacked him. Add Neil Lennon to the mix.
hahahahaha
Jesus wept, add me to the mix while you're at it.
Then again, we sack managers that get us top four and then don't give the next man the time and support and replace him with someone with no experience. Then sack him.
If Levy is waiting for a first choice target whilst preparing a more likely second choice, you can only agree that he's got the clubs best interest at heart. You'd want the best choice to be the one appointed, right? Except how does one quantify what Levy's best interest is?
Out of all of them, Pochettino is the most likely and would match up with the 'footballing philosophy' that Levy name-checked in the THST meeting. I've already seen some oppose this potential appointment, citing the requirement of a bulky CV and the fact that Poch (that's his nickname for the pro-camp) hasn't done a lot to prove himself worthy of Tottenham. Ah yes, that fabled sense of entitlement is still strong with some of us. Considering our very recent past, you might argue in favour of that entitlement citing Andre Villas-Boas failure but also you may choose to remind some of Harry 'got a small CV' Redknapp and the impact made by him. Martin Jol also equally 'unqualified' when made the boss.
I think at this stage in the game, beggars can't be choosers. Just how many CV's have we read and accepted over the years with practically every type of coach that has come and gone without prolonged success - aside from the one or two that have influenced us positively.
Much like Roberto Martinez 'wasn't good enough' for Spurs when originally linked and has since proven that he is more than capable of elevating his stature at a bigger club, the same logic can and should be applied to the likes of Pochettino. The underlining fact here is - every appointment is one that carries the burden of risk. We should also be more than aware that the ones that we expect little from are the ones that end up doing better - at least at Spurs. Jol and Redknapp, the accidental managers - both successful (in terms of a blueprint of style and progression).
Once again, it's whether the club is completely and unequivocally supportive of the appointment and the fans are accepting and patient. The two factors that will bind the new man into the fabric of the club and either suffocate the life out of him or allow for another renaissance.
They say having faith is not pragmatic but it's one of the fundamental building blocks of supporting your team. Pochettino has already proven capable with the youth players at Southampton - an important factor to tie in with the academy at Spurs. With supposedly top class players at his disposal at Spurs (if he joins), as long as the football is attractive then it's a start. de Boer is not too dissimilar (although his football is less easy on the eye - which might lead to disgruntlement) and has the virtue of managing Ajax and the success they are able to bestow on their fans.
As I recently wrote, if it's just success you want then stop complaining about the style of football and give it time. If that's what you want - it's hardly the Tottenham way. If it's style and substance, you still have to give it time. It's the most repeated statement in a game that has no time for patience. I should just give up preaching it.
The quicker the club appoint him or someone, anyone (apart from most of them) - the quicker we can aim to recapture some excitement and look ahead to Spurs playing some decent stuff. The problem is, history has evolved us to a tentative existence - suspicious and unwilling to embrace with confidence. Can't smile without you, can't smile with you.
Hoping those clouds above disperse before the World Cup and the sun starts to shine on us again. Otherwise this summer is going to be as cold as our season it followed.
