Tottenham need to treat managerial search like star player search and spend big bucks
When the curtain falls on the Premier League season on Sunday, it will feel like an act of mercy for Tottenham and put an end to problems on the pitch – at least until mid-August.
For fans hoping to switch off, the bad news is that Spurs’ off-field dramas show little sign of abating as the club’s search for a new boss looks set to stretch into the summer and look increasingly chaotic.
The youngest name in the squad, Arne Slot, signed yesterday due to Spurs’ interest in Feyenoord, forcing the club to reconsider yet again.
Feyenoord is demanding compensation in the region of £15million for Slot and three of his staff, which appears to have complicated Spurs’ pursuit of the 44-year-old Dutchman.
Arne Slot is sticking with it.
/ ANP/AFP via Getty ImagesSpurs have downplayed suggestions that they are resisting the Eredivisie club’s demands but the speculation has raised the question of how much a good manager is really worth.
Spurs status clubs routinely spend £15m-20m on players – and that doesn’t buy top quality these days – but are often reluctant to pay similar fees to coaches.
The record sum for a manager is believed to be the £21.7million Bayern Munich paid to release Julian Nagelsmann from his RB Leipzig contract, despite the £21.5million reported by Chelsea just behind for the signing of Graham Potter from Brighton.
Both Nagelsmann and Potter were disappointed, underscoring the risks of big managerial spending. In Slot’s case, £15m is significant for a manager with no experience outside the Eredivisie – especially when his current deal includes a £6m sale deal. Release clause next summer.
However, Spurs spent £40m on a right-back with no Premier League experience in mid-season Pedro Porro and £60m to sign Richarlison – who will likely always be a squad player first – and are preparing for a summer sell-off before. where a string of expensive flops will likely require recklessness.
The right manager is certainly worth his weight in gold and can bring huge returns through success on the pitch, nurturing youth and improving underperforming players. Paying high fees to coaches may become the norm in the future as clubs protect their assets, but for now most clubs are reluctant to take the step.
Ange Postecoglou has impressed at Celtic
/ PAAnge Postecoglou, the Celtic manager, has emerged as a serious candidate following Slot’s decision to remain at De Kuip, while Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique are both unemployed and have been admired by Spurs before.
Acting head coach Ryan Mason has said he wants the job but Sunday’s visit to Leeds – who need to win to stand a chance of escaping relegation – will likely be his last game as manager.
Mason was thrown into the most difficult of circumstances when the side were shattered by Antonio Conte’s scathing criticism of their characters and the humiliating 6-1 defeat at Newcastle under Cristian Stellini.
He improved the atmosphere at the training ground, made some improvements on the pitch going forward and won the admiration of several experienced players in the squad.
It would be a risky appointment to be a rookie manager at this level, but he is one of the fans’ favorite sons – and the longer Spurs’ search for a manager lasts, the more he feels like a potentially realistic contender.
The season could still end in European football and Spurs would secure a place in the Europa Conference League if they score and Aston Villa lose to Brighton at home.
If Spurs lose at Elland Road and Brentford get a result at home to champions Manchester City, they will be overtaken by the Bees and slip to a dismal ninth place, their lowest result since 2007/08.
https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/tottenham-manager-search-levy-slot-postecoglou-b1083935.html Tottenham need to treat managerial search like star player search and spend big bucks
