Glenn Hoddle believes that the new Tottenham Hotspur head coach will have a huge rebuild required but without the funds to do so.
It has been more than two months since Jose Mourinho was relieved of his duties and without a replacement in place, it is just two weeks before Spurs’ non-international players return to Hotspur Way for pre-season.
One man who knows Tottenham inside out, having coming through as a youngster to play for the club and then having later managed the north London outfit is Hoddle.
The 63-year-old believes Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is “chasing his tail” at the moment.
“I know Spurs fans are just fed up to the back teeth with it now. There’s a big list of names that they have apparently approached but how many of those were realistic. We know for a fact that there’s been three or four they’ve gone for. Daniel Levy has got a real hard job on his hands,” the former England boss told Betfair.
“Once he decided to sack Mourinho he had to have someone to replace him. But that’s not happened and it’s not a great position to be with. We’ve come to a crossroads: the stadium’s fabulous, all the infrastructure is there and what Levy’s done is fantastic, to a degree.
“The squad has to be the priority but it can only be a priority if they get a manager in. The Kane situation needs to be dealt with eventually. It’s a real conundrum where Spurs are at the moment.
“To think only two years ago they were in the Champions League final. Now it’s going to take a rebuild, I don’t care who comes in, even if you had Shankly, Ferguson and Bill Nicholson all together in one, that team’s going to need changing over the next few seasons. That’s why Kane’s saying he wants to move.”
“I’m still scratching my head to see where Levy’s going to go. I wonder if he’d be better going to someone who’s been in the Premier League, knows the Premier League. That might work better than going for a foreign manager.
“Graham Potter at Brighton has done a great job, but whether he can cope with the pressure is another thing. Only Daniel Levy knows and I get the feeling he’s chasing his tail at the moment.”
Hoddle would not rule out returning himself as manager if asked but admitted it was a very different time at Tottenham to when he sat in the dugout.
“I don’t know if managers don’t want to come to Spurs, but I don’t think a deal with a team not in the Champions League has been pinned down,” he said.
“So whether it’s not enough money being thrown at these managers, or it’s the fact that they are at a crossroads and a lot of money has to be spent on the squad – but the money is not there – they could be reluctant to come for those reasons. It’s not just down to the club – it’s actually a fantastic club to be successful with.
“However, it seems like we are going south, not north. Two years ago, we were travelling north, but we’ve reversed the car and we’re going down south.”
“I feel that we’ve got to have some stability for a few seasons. It’s got to be a mini rebuild to see if that success can come round the corner. There are too many facets to the squad that are negative at the moment.
“There have been so many names for the job, and people have jokingly asked me about it, I’m not sure about that. I’d love to go back there, but it’s a different era and a different scenario at the club. It’s been my club since I was eight years of age. It’s amazing the connection with the club I’ve had over the years. It’s unlikely, but never say never! Football always surprises you, doesn’t it?
“Daniel has got to make the biggest decision he’s ever had to make in the 20 years since being in charge of Spurs. It’s a crossroads for the club – I just pray and hope that he gets the right man that can turn things around.”
(Football London)
