Spurs manager: On a hiding to nothing
With Antonio Conte’s reign as Spurs manager already a distant memory, should the club now be reassessing what success looks like for it?
Clearly there are only three opportunities in a domestic football season to actually win a trophy. Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup. If you’re in European competition, there is an additional ONE chance.
This begs the question. Can the powerbrokers at the Tottenham stadium say that finishing (or scraping) in the top four for a coveted Champions League spot is true success?
Admittedly it’s a balance. Either invest in the squad with players who will improve the club’s chances of winning the Champions League. Or stay the same, stagnate and go backwards. It’s about time Daniel Levy got real.
Of course, there are battles with richer, sometimes even state-owned football clubs. But in terms of forward planning with a new manager, this means your offer must be different.
It must be sold to fans on hope rather than a guarantee. A long-term plan over a short-term crash and burn. It’s what Arsenal are building and it’s similar to how Spurs approached matters at the advent of the Pochettino era in 2014.
Appointing so-called ‘winning’ managers hasn’t worked with these current muddled ideas of success. Conte, like Mourinho before him has won trophies and titles. Spurs are a club high in the rich list. However, simply operating at Champions League level doesn’t mean you’re near to actually winning the thing.
There is little romance in completing 38 Premier League matches to qualify. Especially if the monetary rewards are not going to be used to pop the squad up to the next rung and make them actual contenders to win it.
There is no shame in consistently making the top four, but if we’re talking winning something – the domestic cups must be where it’s at for the next Spurs manager.
Most supporters will take really going for a cup win over finishing fourth in the league and being out of their depth in Europe’s top competition.
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