For Tottenham fans, the season can’t end soon enough.
The final home game of the campaign culminated in a 3-1 defeat to London rivals Brentford and many fans had left way before the players’ lap of honour.
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Since Antonio Conte left at the end of March, discontent between supporters and the board have been growing with each passing week.
Spurs haven’t had a manager in charge of the club for a full season since the 2018/19 campaign. It’s of the utmost importance, then, that the next appointment is the right one.
A number of names have been linked with the vacant managerial post, namely Mauricio Pochettino, Julian Nagelsmann and Vincent Kompany. However, Feyenoord’s Arne Slot has since emerged as the frontrunner for the role.
Fresh from guiding the Rotterdam side to a first Eredivisie title in six years, Slot’s stock has soared since he took over the Feyenoord reins in 2021.
He has lost key attackers Guus Til, Bryan Linssen and Luis Sinisterra, coupled with prized defenders Marcos Senesi and Tyrell Malacia.
Nevertheless, Slot adapted to the high-profile departures and took Feyenoord to the next level, which has served to boost his reputation.
What is notable, though, is that Feyenoord didn’t go out and splash the cash to replace those departures. Santiago Gimenez joined from Cruz Azul to bolster the attack, while Oussama Idrissi returned to the Netherlands on loan from Sevilla to ease the departure of Sinisterra.
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In defence, Quilindschy Hartman was promoted to first choice left-back following Malacia’s move to Manchester United, and at centre-back; David Hancko arrived from Sparta Prague to cover Senesi’s exit for Bournemouth, with Feyenoord making a profit on the latter.
Slot hasn’t been afraid to promote from within in order to fill gaps in the XI either, noted by the use of Hartman at left-back for much of the campaign.
Spurs have ample quality in the academy, as evidenced by their U17 and U18 Premier League Cup triumphs in the last few weeks, so maximising the potential of the young stars is key.
Slot wasn’t against tapping into the youth during his brief stint as AZ Alkmaar boss, and to have followed suit with Feyenoord is an appealing trait for Tottenham. Considering fans love a homegrown hero, supporters should be excited at the young stars that could come through the ranks to cement their spot in the first team.
If Slot becomes Spurs boss then he is likely to move away from the three-man defence that has been a staple at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium over the last 18 months.
Slot has favoured a four-man backline with Feyenoord, primarily a 4-2-3-1 setup, and stuck with that system even after the major exits last summer. That’ll mean yet another change in style at Spurs, but with the players currently at the club, that should suit the team as a whole.
Spurs did use a 4-2-3-1 against Brentford on Saturday, with Arnaut Danjuma, Dejan Kulusevski and Heung-Min Son in support of Harry Kane, and the opening 45 was among the best supporters have seen by the club this season. The hard work was undone by a sloppy second half display, but the first half showing gave a glimpse of what is possible once more in north London.
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In addition, Slot wants his players to work hard off the ball, play aggressive and really press opponents.
Slot’s Feyenoord play with high intensity to help force teams into mistakes to create chances, so it’s no surprise Feyenoord rank top for possession won in the attacking third (257) in the Eredivisie this season. By comparison, Spurs have won possession in the attacking third just 165 times in England’s top tier this term, that ranking 15th.
Some of those resting on their laurels will be in for a shock under Slot, and the hope is he’ll give the team a much-needed shot in the arm to shake the club out of its current funk.
Then there are the personnel changes needed to ensure Slot is able to translate his ideas across properly. Spurs will be active in the market this summer.
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A new goalkeeper, centre-back and at least one central midfielder is a necessity. A Kane replacement could be viewed as a priority, though that ultimately depends on whether he exits the club this summer.
David Raya is seen as the number one target for the north London side to succeed Hugo Lloris between the sticks, but what Slot will need is a ball-playing central midfielder to help keep Spurs ticking over.
Thirty per cent of Feyenoord’s attacks in the Eredivisie this season have come through the middle, the highest proportion in the Dutch top tier, and key in that has been Orkun Kokcu.
While not the most physically imposing, Kokcu is one who likes to keep play ticking over, a central midfielder Spurs do lack. The 22-year-old ranks fourth for passes per game (72.1) in the Eredivisie this season, while a return of 2.7 key passes per game ranks third in the division. Not only does he have an eye for picking out a teammate, the Turkey international is able to pry apart defences where needed.
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In addition, despite his size, he is more then capable of breaking up play in the middle of the park having won possession in the midfield third 130 times, the sixth highest in the division, and is willing to get forward to defend from the front, having won possession in the attacking third 32 times, that the second most in the Dutch top tier.
The general consensus too is that if, or when, Slot leaves, Kokcu will follow suit, so it wouldn’t be a shock to see the latter rock up at Hotspur Way if the former switched Rotterdam for London.
In defence, a left-footed centre-back is also seen as a key area in need of improvement, even if Spurs do make Clement Lenglet’s move permanent. David Hancko is another who could potentially follow suit and while not the glamour name some might hope for, the Czech is one who quickly brought into Slot’s ideas to become a mainstay in the Feyenoord defence.
Hancko ranks third for passes per game (72.2) in the 2022/23 Eredivisie campaign, and places 10th for total tackles (67). An 88.2 per cent tackle success rate is a notable return, with the 25-year-old tough to beat and able to comfortably instigate attacks from defence.
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Finally, in attack, Santiago Gimenez may not be the same profile, physically, as Kane, but 15 league goals for Feyenoord this season isn’t to be scoffed at.
Standing a shade under 6ft, the Mexican has scored a commendable four headed goals in 2022/23, a return only four players – all on five – can better in the Eredivise. Gimenez may not be as involved in the build up play as Kane, yet the 22-year-old is one who knows how to put the ball in the back of the net.
Caution must be applied when bringing in a striker from the Eredivisie, especially for Spurs, who thought they’d struck gold when they signed Vincent Janssen from AZ in 2016.
The Dutchman scored 27 league goals in his final campaign in the Eredivise, yet only netted twice during his ill-fated stint in north London.
Slot may not be the headline-grabbing appointment, but he is one that should excite Spurs fans. After attempting the tried-and-tested winners, the club needs to revert to factory settings and rebuild from the ground up. Slot, then, could prove the perfect fit for the north London side.
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