How Spurs hired their best manager since Mauricio Pochettino

There has been so much positivity from all areas of Tottenham Hotspur this summer. Rarely can we say that.

The past two seasons, despite sandwiching Europa League wins, have been an absolute disaster. Consecutive 17th-place finishes mean management has to spend money.

However, smart spending does exist. It looks like Spurs didn’t do that.

Indeed, Roberto De Zerbi’s side sit bottom of the Premier League table as we head into the first international break of the season.

This summer’s spending was supposed to take them back to the Mauricio Pochettino era, but that’s not the case.

Why Spurs are underperforming after Pochettino

Tottenham have never looked like a consistent and consistent team since the days of Pochettino. Of course, Angie Postecoglou did win a trophy in north London, but on the domestic stage they have been a disaster for some time.

So, what went wrong? The performance of nine managers since the Argentine’s departure certainly doesn’t help. They also tried a whole host of strategies, tearing apart the identity and mentality that Poch had created.

They selected proven winners such as Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte. They were burned by proven Premier League owners such as Thomas Frank and Nuno Santo, while lesser-known names such as Ange and Igor Tudor did little to arrest their decline.

Of course, they also lost Harry Kane’s goals and Son Heung-min’s tenacity. Kane, in particular, is irreplaceable. They really struggled without him.

Recruitment has also been questioned. As Postecoglou told Overlap earlier this year, clubs have traditionally struggled to attract top players.

“I was looking at Pedro Neto, Brian Mbemo and Antoine Semenho, but also Marc Gay because I said if we were going to go from fifth to fifth, then the other big clubs would be doing it at that moment,” Angle said.

Spurs have now tried their hand at a Premier League-proven spell in the transfer window, but so far they haven’t gotten very far either. Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes are worth a combined £185m this summer. Savio, Omar Marmouche, Jan-Paul van Herk, Marcos Senesi, Andy Robertson and Michelo Mudric, among others, all arrived.

Action pictures via Reuters/Peter Cziborra

Where did they get it? 20th. It feels like this great club is now cursed.

How Tottenham hired Pochettino 2.0

So, what’s the solution here? It feels as though the north Londoners have tried everything.

What they need to try and develop is the mentality that surrounded the club during Pochettino’s reign. While he didn’t win a trophy, he did lead the team to the Champions League final. They haven’t come close to replicating a season like that since.

Who can bring back those days? Well, there’s Arne Slot and Julian Nagelsmann on the manager market right now. Both are interesting options if ENIC gets rid of De Zerbi.

Another interesting option is former Newcastle manager Eddie Howe. Now, hear us out on this.

We know he’s not the most attractive name, but he could be the man to turn back the clock to the Pochettino era. Why? Well, both of them have been praised for their ability to develop players.

David Webb, Spurs’ former head of elite identification, has outlined this in the past. he once told the standard: “Mauricio is a teacher, a great coach, so after working with him for a while, the players will improve and their level will improve. I work closely with Eddie Howe and they are very similar in that they are both teachers and coaches on the pitch and both are real player developers.”

This was one of the reasons Tottenham decided to hire Pochettino all those years ago. At Southampton he turned the likes of Luke Shaw and Adam Lallana into stars, players who went on to play for Manchester United and Liverpool. His Saints team is filled with the best young talent in the country. It’s the perfect springboard to join a bigger club. At Tottenham, he helped Kane, Eriksen, Dele Alli and others become elite players.

Well, Howe’s time at Newcastle was very similar. Likewise, he provides the ultimate platform for advancement. The summer turnover at St James’ Park illustrates this.

Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimarães and Anthony Gordon became three of the best players in the Premier League before heading to Tottenham, Arsenal and Barcelona.

Reuters/Scott Hepel

Howe and Pochettino are excellent at developing players, which is why the former would be an excellent appointment in the modern era.

Not only has he already coached Tonali, but this Spurs team is filled with young talent waiting to break out. You look at players like Archie Gray, Fernandes, Savio and you can only dream of the players Poch could turn them into.

Reuters/Andrew Boyes

Well, if they hired Howe, they could become a star in their own right. There is a feeling that many of Tottenham Hotspur’s players need someone on their shoulders. The former Magpies boss would be perfect in that regard, even if his tenure in the North East comes to an abrupt end.

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