Whenever I sit down to write a blog post I normally have a structure in mind, or at least a topic in mind that I want to cover with bullet points in my mind that should be covered if I am going to give my blog post balance. Today as I start writing this I really do not have any of that so hold on to your hat’s this could be a rambled ride.
Over the last few days I have accepted that Tottenham were going to appoint Paulo Fonseca as our new manager. He was not my first choice and nor was he on any list of options I ever thought up for the vacant head coach position however I did some reading, watched a documentary on YouTube and watched how he got his teams by in large playing football that was fun to watch – after a year or more of Jose that was welcome.
So I guess what I am saying is that although not excited I was at least on board. I had gotten there. Funny enough, this summer that is not the first time I have had to do that….
The first serious link to our vacant position this summer, hell even before the last season finished, was Brendan Rodgers. The man who recently lifted the FA Cup with Leicester was apparently the top target of our head of recruitment Steve Hitchen who was given a clear brief by Daniel Levy – and we know this brief is true as Levy even went public with it – to bring in a coach who used modern methods, modern coaching and played attacking possession based football.
What was funny with this brief of course if that it literally described Mauricio Pochettino – who Levy sacked to appoint the anti Christ of all those things he lists as priorities. So Hitchen wrote a list… Rodgers…. Potter… to name two on that list but to the rest of the board it was clear, Pochettino was the man. Levy however, according to multiple reports surfacing now was “making eyes” only for Roberto Martinez in the hope of luring him after the Euros.
So while Hitchen was being told by Nagelsmann, Rodgers, Potter and ten Hag “no thank you” as they had jobs lined up or were very happy with their current clubs our chairman was focused elsewhere. His back up, his ace up his sleeve was that if Bayern were letting him go he could always make a move for Flick. He decided on Germany and Martinez would not talk to anyone about anything until after the Euros.
I realise that was very rambled, so a summary. Hitchen had a shortlist and made polite enquiries, nothing serious but just “would you be interested in a chat about this…” and was told, again politely, no thank you. Journalists when this gets leaked, often by agents for these managers, make a big deal of it with terms like REJECTED and SNUBBED but in reality this is quite a simple initial process. Want an example of rejection, see Conte situation!
You see with the press catching wind of Spurs failing to land their targets (even if just polite enquiries) the club needed to try and save face. NOW you can read into this what you want. However here are the facts. The club leaked talks with Pochettino and then Conte to the press. Journalists who got the stories first were Spurs guys, if run a page like ours long enough you get to spot and know these things and so… I can say with 100% the club leaked it. Now, with that being the case why would you, knowing the PR disaster if you leak something and then it doesn’t happen… why would you do that?
The Pochettino story hit at membership renewal time…. the Conte story when season ticket renewal deadline happened….. As I said, you make you mind up but after those deadlines past both lots of talks vanished as quickly as they first appeared.
While the Conte links were there though there was something that came up. Tottenham were looking at a director of football. Now this was not a total shock as earlier in the window there was a strong rumour Daniel Levy had held talks with several high profile sporting directors / directors of football. Nothing really materialized from that and so it was quickly forgotten but then as the Conte deal fell apart one deal was done. Welcome to Tottenham, Fabio Paratici.
Our new Managing Director of Football (great job title) is in charge or transfers, loans, contracts and ALL footballing matters at the club. In the past this role was part of Daniel Levy’s remit, however this new appointment suggests that has now ended. That would be, if it happens… I am skeptical… be a very good move not just for the club but also Daniel himself.
If Mr Levy can focus on our commercial growth and creating more funds for the team and Mr Paratici can work to develop a team… this is all good…. but what is funny about being a football fan is I can both say “got to back Paratici” and then also say “but dont employ him as the head coach FFS!!!!” and that is basically exactly what happened when it was again, made clear to the press, that Paratici identified Paulo Fonseca as the man!
So the man Roma sacked to appoint the man we sacked is now our best option. Football is a funny old game but okay, as I said above, it took me a while but fine, I am on board. I am going to back the men in charge and support my club. Give them all a chance…
…. then today according to multiple reports Paratici decided no, he is not my first choice, I want a psychopath instead.
Gattuso. The man who was appointed head coach of Fiorentina under a month ago and then quit as they did not want to sign the players his agent wanted them to sign (super agent, and Jose Mourinho super chum, Jorge Mendes). He has quite the managerial record:
Sion – Fired after four months.
Palermo – Fired after six games.
Crete – Quit. Then returned and quit again within four months of his return.
Pisa – Promotion and then quit. Returned, finished bottom of the league and got sacked.
AC Milan – Managed to compete at the top for two thirds of the season but then in final part team fell apart, they finished outside Europe and he was sacked.
Napoli – Finished 7th and won a domestic cup in first season. Second season competed near the top but fell away again, just like at Milan and was sacked.
Fiorentina – Quit after 23 days.
So as of right now, as I write this, he is the man who is set to become our new head coach. Forget his personal history with us as a club, forget his managerial record and even forget his temper and famous outbursts at players, officials and journalists…. his style of football is described as slow, methodical and tactical in the traditional Italian sense. Not possession based. Not attacking. Not Tottenham.
I know Daniel Levy said this things and now Daniel Levy is not in charge of this decision but as a fan I think I have just reached a stage where I am now so annoyed, so far gone… I am just laughing. However I am not sure any of us will be laughing once the Euro’s are over and our players return to the club, meet their new head coach, whoever it is and have the conversations we know many of them want to have with Paratici about their futures.
All in all things are a bit shit, ironically just how Gattuso described his teams; …. “sometimes good, sometimes shit”…. hell, maybe he is perfect for us after all!
-Admin SJ
