How Spurs could hire their best manager since Mauricio Pochettino

This summer generated so much positivity throughout all areas of Tottenham Hotspur. It’s very rare we get to say that.

The last two seasons, despite being sandwiched by a Europa League triumph, have been nothing short of a disaster. Consecutive 17th-place finishes meant that the hierarchy simply had to spend.

Yet, there is such a thing as spending sensibly. It doesn’t look as though Spurs have done that.

Indeed, as we reached the first international break of the season, Roberto De Zerbi‘s side sit rock bottom of the Premier League table.

This summer’s spending was meant to take them back to the Mauricio Pochettino era but that hasn’t been the case in the slightest.

Why Spurs have struggled post-Pochettino

Not since the days of Pochettino have Tottenham ever looked like a stable and consistent team. Sure, Ange Postecoglou did win a trophy in north London, but on the domestic scene, they were and have been a disaster for a while now.

So, where has it all gone wrong? Well, nine managers in the period since the Argentine left has certainly not helped. They’ve tried a whole heap of strategies too, ripping up the identity and mentality that Poch created.

They cycled through proven winners in the form of Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte. They were burned by Premier League-proven bosses such as Thomas Frank and Nuno Santo, while the lesser-known names in the form of Ange and Igor Tudor didn’t arrest the slump either.

Of course, they have also lost the goals of Harry Kane and the tenacity of Heung-min Son. Kane, in particular, was irreplaceable. They have really struggled without him.

The recruitment has also been questionable. As Postecoglou said on the Overlap earlier this year, the club have traditionally struggled to attract the top names.

Ange said: “I was looking at Pedro Neto, Bryan Mbeumo and Antoine Semenyo at the time, Marc Guehi too, because I said if we’re going to go from fifth to there, that’s what the other big clubs would do in that moment.”

Well, Spurs have now tried the Premier League-proven mantra in the transfer window and so far, it’s not taken them very far either. This summer, Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes arrived to the tune of a combined £185m. Savio, Omar Marmoush, Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi, Andy Robertson and Mykhailo Mudryk arrived, among others.

Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra

Where’s that got them? 20th. It feels like this great club is cursed right now.

How Spurs could hire 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 cultivate is the mentality that surrounded the club during the reign of Pochettino. While he didn’t win a trophy, he did steer them to a Champions League final. Since then, they have not been close to replicating such a season.

Who could bring those days back? Well, on the manager market right now are Arne Slot and Julian Nagelsmann. Both represent intriguing options for ENIC should they get rid of De Zerbi.

Another interesting option is former Newcastle boss Eddie Howe. Now, hear us out with this one.

We know he’s not the most appealing of names, but he could be the one to roll back the years to the Pochettino era. Why? Well, both of them have been hailed for their ability to develop players.

It is something that David Webb, the former head of elite identification at Spurs, has outlined in the past. He once told the Standard: “Mauricio is a teacher, a fantastic coach so players would improve, their levels would go up working with him over a period of time. I worked closely with Eddie Howe and they are both quite similar in that they are both teachers and coaches on the pitch, real player developers.”

That was one of the reasons Spurs 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 was filled to the brim with some of the best young talent in the country. It was the perfect springboard to go and join a bigger club. At Spurs, it was Kane, Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli and Co whom he helped become elite players.

Well, Howe’s time at Newcastle is remarkably similar. Likewise, he provided the ultimate platform for progression. The turnover at St James’ Park over the summer was indicative of that.

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

REUTERS/Scott Heppell

Between them, Howe and Pochettino are just fabulous at developing players and that’s why the former would be a cracking appointment in the modern day.

Not only has he already managed Tonali but this is a Spurs team filled with young talent who are just waiting to explode. You look at the likes of Archie Gray, at Fernandes, at Savio and you can only dream of the type of player Poch could turn them into.

REUTERS/Andrew Boyers

Well, if they hired Howe, they could become stars in their own right. There is a sense that many players in this Tottenham team need an arm around their shoulder. The former Magpies boss would be perfect in that regard, even if his spell in the north east ended abruptly.

Previously celebrated as “the next England manager” by Jamie Carragher, supporters should hope that he becomes the next Tottenham manager instead.