Next Manager Watch

[Japhet]

Not fully onboard with Kompany but crtainly not against it. I'd be happy with Gallardo, Slot or Postecoglue too. Any of those would be a proper 'To Dare is To Do' appointment. Nagelsmann would probably fit most people's agenda but I think Chelsea will throw bucketloads of cash at him. He'll be available 6 months later anyway.

 

[Westmorlandspur]

I think we all just want to see the team play some proper football. We have had nearly 4 seasons of playing on the break, sitting back when ahead. Just appoint a manager who plays attacking football and support him. God knows what we are going to do with all the players we will have at the start of June. Approx 30 , if not more, first team squad players. Whether Levy likes it or not there will have to be some sort of fire sale.

 

[Japhet]

fans disappointed before a manager is appointed. Come on, I think generally the names on the list all feel credible and we just need to get behind the manager

The same fans who were wanking themselves stupid when we appointed Mourinho and Conte.

 

[KingNick]

Such a nonsense argument. Firstly there's no sign that Pep is leaving anytime soon. Secondly, City will only want him if he's achieved something with a top quality club. Getting Burnley promoted is a massive achievement, but City will want to see how he manages some big name players and egos and how his team can perform in Europe before signing him up. If we get 2-3 seasons from him where he elevates us from where we are now then it's a result and as Brighton have shown it's much easier to bring in a similar (and in their case arguably better) manager when things are going well and your manager is poached, than it is to bring in a new manager because the last guy got sacked for things going to shit.

That being said I also think i'd prefer Slot.

Agreed.

In any case, we will always be at risk of losing a manager to a bigger club if they do well for us. Very few clubs in the world don't have that problem. And yet people only think of VK to City being this kind of risk.

Poch was touting himself to Madrid and United for around a year before he left. Would Slot turn down Madrid/Barca/Munich if he did well for us?

All we can do is appoint the person we think is best for us, support them in every way they need to achieve success and hope that they do well and don't want to leave. We can't not appoint someone because they might ultimately leave. We might as well just appoint an obvious deadbeat in that case.

 

[Trix]

When we brought Danjuma on and went to a 4231 we looked immediately better. Kulusevski in the number 10 role we was playing quicker passing patterns and dominanted game.

taking skipp off and throwing Richarlison on made it chaos and we lost shape. Not saying we would get top 4 player 4231 but it would make it more of a possibility.

We generally do that when we go behind regardless of the formation mate or who we are playing, because the players then know we've nothing to lose. We have done that countless times at 3-4-3 also, but it's usually too late by then.

 

[Trix]

It might not help us defensively but it will indeed help us offensively with an extra attacker or midfielder. Attack is the best defence for a team like us when we have the defenders that we have.

Not if those attacking players are all clustered in our own half tying to keep the ball out. 3-4-3 may well not be the best formation for us, or anyone for that matter but it's clearly mentality that's the main problem not shape. We were exactly the same under Jose Nuno and the end of the Poch era and they didn't play with 3 at the back.

 

[Cavehillspur]

Not if those attacking players are all clustered in our own half tying to keep the ball out. 3-4-3 may well not be the best formation for us, or anyone for that matter but it's clearly mentality that's the main problem not shape. We were exactly the same under Jose Nuno and the end of the Poch era and they didn't play with 3 at the back.

It's utterly baffling why the players do it (sit back), that's the last 3 managers all saying it's the players do it instinctively and its not part of the tactics, just weird. Hopefully the new manager whoever that may be coaches it out of them.

 

[Trix]

It's utterly baffling why the players do it (sit back), that's the last 3 managers all saying it's the players do it instinctively and its not part of the tactics, just weird. Hopefully the new manager whoever that may be coaches it out of them.

It's not just the managers mate. Both Kane and Hugo have been asked the question over the last couple of seasons and have both said it's not what they are being asked to do. I do wonder if a more commanding CB makes a difference tbh, forcing them higher up the pitch. Anyway if it does end up being Kompany hopefully he'll know the answer, as he was one of the best ever as far as commanding CB's are concerned.

 

[sidford]

Agree but these are exceptional circumstances and his proclaimed love for the club might have meant he would do it for spurs and spurs only.

Managers like Gus Hidink have done it

They did but that was at Chelsea when they have a long history of such appointments so they aren't viewed negatively but also Chelsea had a chance of winning things and the interims could hope for new manager bounces to win a cup or CL which a number of them did. Chelsea at that time was a club set up to win with very strong changing room, the manager wasn't too important.

It's a completely different scenario with us with an interim likely on a hiding to nothing and certainly without a chance to win anything.
Poch does seem to have a real fondness for the club but I can't believe he would ever risk his reputation for us. As I said originally there is nothing in it for him so he would never accept it.

 

[ultimateloner]

Agree but these are exceptional circumstances and his proclaimed love for the club might have meant he would do it for spurs and spurs only.

Managers like Gus Hidink have done it

This is naive but I like it.

 

[spurs mental]

It's utterly baffling why the players do it (sit back), that's the last 3 managers all saying it's the players do it instinctively and its not part of the tactics, just weird. Hopefully the new manager whoever that may be coaches it out of them.

Is it really baffling? There is something seriously wrong st the club. It's not just the managers, players have said it's not what they're being asked to do but they do it anyway.

 

[Duke of Northumberland]

Agreed.

In any case, we will always be at risk of losing a manager to a bigger club if they do well for us. Very few clubs in the world don't have that problem. And yet people only think of VK to City being this kind of risk.

Poch was touting himself to Madrid and United for around a year before he left. Would Slot turn down Madrid/Barca/Munich if he did well for us?

All we can do is appoint the person we think is best for us, support them in every way they need to achieve success and hope that they do well and don't want to leave. We can't not appoint someone because they might ultimately leave. We might as well just appoint an obvious deadbeat in that case.

Agreed, although I think people's real concern is about identity more than the potential to leave. Kompany is clearly very associated with City. I think after recent managers people want someone who identifies with Tottenham Hotspur, or who will do. Maybe Kompany will do, but you can imagine the media narrative the whole time he is here because I don't think Pep will stay much longer.

Also, lets be clear City are not a bigger club than us, they are bloated by oil money in recent times. Average attendance is a good indicator.

 

[Spawn]

It's not just the managers mate. Both Kane and Hugo have been asked the question over the last couple of seasons and have both said it's not what they are being asked to do. I do wonder if a more commanding CB makes a difference tbh, forcing them higher up the pitch. Anyway if it does end up being Kompany hopefully he'll know the answer, as he was one of the best ever as far as commanding CB's are concerned.

You have to query why the captain and vice captain aren’t doing their roles on the pitch and pushing the team forward. Seems to indicate a lack of leadership which is disappointing

 

[THFCjosh]

2/3 years is a dogs-age in football terms. If you're expecting a Ferguson / Wenger type dynasty - dream on.

Football management is the definition of short-termism.

To an extent yes. But if we're starting from scratch again anything less than 3 years if pointless. Arteta has been at Arsenal for what? 3 years? Only now are they actually doing something worth writing home about. Unlike the Cities, Newcastles or Uniteds we are not going to throw money to make it work immediately so will also need time for the manager to get the team he wants which will take time I imagine.

 

[For the love of Spurs]

That requires a semblance of patients. Something this fanbase has rarely had, not even with Poch when he started out. We are an impatient bunch. Football fans are in general.

I know some people say that if we are playing attractive football they'll give it time but it only takes 2 or 3 defeats on the bounce for that opinion to change.

Winning matches is what ultimately counts for everyone so I don't fully buy the "I just want to see attractive front football and see we are trying even if we lose" thing.

I would hardly call us an impatient fanbase. We have had 20 years and 1 cup, we never drove Jol out or Redknapp out, even with Poch the fanbase was probably 50:50. The most impatient person in the stadium is probably the chairman.

It was Levy that hired cheque book managers that made everyone think we would spend huge and win cups. Problem is the football style is rubbish so if we don’t win a trophy there is nothing left. Don’t rev up the fanbase with fake ambition and crap football then wonder why it’s gone bad.

If the club for the first time in decades show a clear plan, bring in a manager that wants to play a decent brand of football and the club will actual back and support that manager they will get time as long as we ain’t in a relegation battle. It’s entirely upto the board to fix this.

 

[ultimateloner]

Is it really baffling? There is something seriously wrong st the club. It's not just the managers, players have said it's not what they're being asked to do but they do it anyway.

If you look at it from their perspective, it is obvious why. They don't want to play, because it's not fun. They are playing because it is their job, not because they love the club or for career progress.

When the passion is gone, people take the safe path. That equates to dropping and doing the thing that exposes you less.

It's exactly what Conte says.

This is why I believe it's unlikely any half decent manager would join us on an interim basis; we have a mentality/cultural/courage issue that's beyond ability + tactics. If we need someone, we can buy them; if we need to play differently, we can adjust. These things are within any manager's arsenal to change. Our problems run deeper than that. It's part of the rot we are falling into and it's going to get worse.

 

[Ghost Hardware]

Slot beating PSV and Ajax to the title is pretty impressive. As well as a deep run in the Europa. Never heard of him before we fired Conte, but I'd be happy to see him get the job.

I think what Slot has achieved in Europe is very impressive especially if they get past Roma. But I would say re the league, Ajax sold most of their best players and sacked their manager, Schreuder, halfway through the season after they went 7 games without a win and replaced him with Heitinga who was the youth team coach. PSV are being managed by Ruud van Nistelrooy who has only had one year managing experience with their B team and they lost their best player halfway through the season without replacing him. Obviously both teams squads are still significantly better on paper then Feyenoord and even despite this what Slot has done is still very impressive. Ultimately he still needed to take advantage of the situation which he has done with aplomb, after all he there was a large change over of players at Feyenoord as well. But I would say that the league was certainly weaker due to both PSV and Ajax being in transition. I would be very interested to see how Slot would do next season where both teams, one assumes, would be more ready to challange.

Still, I would much rather go with Slot then Kompany personally as what he has done in Europe with the team he has both this season and last season is impressive. But Really for me, neither manager would be a top pick as I think both managers need more time to develop and gain more experience in building a longer term project.

 

[ultimateloner]

You have to query why the captain and vice captain aren’t doing their roles on the pitch and pushing the team forward. Seems to indicate a lack of leadership which is disappointing

I think you are being unfair. What you are expecting is a very high bar; asking players to go out of their type.
It's like asking Winks to not shy away from the ball. The whole team and Winks himself, knows that he doesn't have it in him to do that consistently at PL level.
This type of motivation only works if the aforementioned players are playing for a bigger purpose than themselves ; which they don't have.

 

[SaiboT]

Not if those attacking players are all clustered in our own half tying to keep the ball out. 3-4-3 may well not be the best formation for us, or anyone for that matter but it's clearly mentality that's the main problem not shape. We were exactly the same under Jose Nuno and the end of the Poch era and they didn't play with 3 at the back.

Yes but all those managers is known to play defensively except poch. For example Jose is known for parking the bus directly after scoring the leading goal. Nuno also. All these coaches we had since poch left have the same tactics with no pressing the opposition and rely on the defenders. We dont even try to win the ball back when losing it. And also if the mentality is the problem someone needs to change it and stellini isnt that man.

 

[EastUpperDK82]

This is what worries me, are we going to move swiftly enough for the manager to make this happen or the usual dragging of heels and bringing someone in too late like we normally do in the transfer windows.

Indeed... have we actually had any interviews or talks of some kind... or are we still writing names down on post-its ...? I bet we do a lot of brainstorming and mind-mapping... f*** h***