Where do Tottenham go next in their managerial search?

Sky Sports News
24 followers
May 13, 2023
So let's have a look at some of the back pages in terms of the story concerning Julian Nagelsmann.
The back page of the Telegraph tomorrow morning, Spurs widen manager hunt as Nagelsmann pursuit
stalls. Story we've been bringing you throughout the day here on Sky Sports News. In terms of the
back pages of the Sun, above the main headline, the top headline I should say of Pop Guardiola,
not the man for Spurs, Julian Nagelsmann is out of the running. Shock manager twist
they say with that story. And finally the Express. It's no to Nagelsmann right at the top there.
Spurs will look elsewhere for new boss. Mikel, I'm going to come to you on this one first. Julian
Nagelsmann not going to be the next man in at Tottenham. As we understand there were no talks
and there are no talks scheduled. Does this come as any surprise? It's maybe not a surprise that
Nagelsmann won't be the next Tottenham manager. As regards how we've got here it's a little bit
more, at least there are a few questions. I mean there are shades of when it was announced that he
wasn't going to be the next Chelsea manager a few weeks ago in that there was, I suppose,
a lot of word filtered out to media in which Nagelsmann claimed he wasn't interested or he
pulled out. Then Chelsea, the stance was that he was only ever one option considered, although it
was admitted that they spoke to him. Spurs are insisting it hasn't got that far. But on the other
side, I mean, if you speak to people close to Nagelsmann over the last few weeks, they've been
pretty insistent that would have taken a lot for Spurs to get him. I must say I always thought it,
the thinking was a few weeks ago that Levy would go in quite strong. It was partly because the
situation at Spurs to try and get a name like Nagelsmann. He seemed to tick so many boxes
that Spurs would want. But what we were hearing throughout that was that it was going to take
a lot of convincing to bring him, a lot of persuading that Spurs would probably have to
see that. So maybe that's where this story is in that sense that Spurs could never really
agree to what Nagelsmann would have wanted to even take it to a first meeting. But the club
were obviously stressing that he isn't an option now. And as regards not what next, I do wonder
whether it's going to be Amirim from Sporting Lisbon or Arnish Slott, who I think I would have
as a slight favourite from Feyenoord. Mark, it is going to be fascinating to see where this story
goes next. I mean, Ryan Mason, who's in temporary charge at the moment, he's very much keen to do
it, said he's ready. He's been at the club long enough. But really, is he a serious candidate?
Where will Tottenham be looking next with Nagelsmann not an option, as we understand?
Yeah, like Miguel said, the name I keep hearing is Arnish Slott at Feyenoord. Now, he's had a
year or two at Feyenoord, but he's only been a coach for four years. So he's inexperienced. But
I think with Nagelsmann, I just think it was never, ever going to be a fit for Tottenham,
because Tottenham are a big six club just because of the stadium, not because of what they win and
what they achieve. It's the stadium. So Julian Nagelsmann has left the biggest club in Germany,
a Champions League club in Bayern Munich. So why would he, yes, he'd have a word, but why would
he risk his reputation on a club like Tottenham, whereby the managers get churned out once a season?
There's a group of players at Tottenham that have never seen off four managers. Pochettino,
Mourinho, they've had Nuno, and the latest one, Antonio Conte, not to mention the caretaker
managers. So it's not a club that appeals to big managers like Julian Nagelsmann.
I think Tottenham have to manage expectations a little bit and realise that they're not in
the market for Julian Nagelsmann. They're not in the market for Pochettino anymore,
because he's probably going to go to Chelsea. So I think someone like Arnish Slott would be
a good appointment in the sense that he's an up-and-coming coach, but it probably wouldn't
appeal to the fans. And that is the issue that Tottenham have got to address, that they
are a club that talks big, with big ambition, but don't really deliver it.
But in that respect, the fans want something to kind of grasp onto that says, look, we're a big
club. And if they get a manager that they haven't really heard of, and they won't know much about
Arnish Slott, he's managing the Eredivisie, it's not a big league, they'll probably be
underwhelmed by that. So Tottenham want a big coach that will attract the fans and sell season
tickets. But the reality is they're not in the market for that kind of coach. And Nagelsmann
was probably never going to go to Tottenham, because why risk ruining his reputation at a
club that always sacks the managers? So Miguel, taking all of what Mark has just said in
consideration, looking at the inside story of the Telegraph tomorrow, and it continues with
Tottenham, but this time we're talking about the future of Harry Kane. The headline Spurs
need plan for end of Kane. With this ongoing head coach situation, Mark talking about the
struggles they're going to have attracting a big name in. Where does this leave Harry Kane
and his future at the club, if indeed there is one? My hunch would be it leaves him at Spurs
for another year, and then potentially leaving on a Bosman. Because all of this uncertainty is
reason for Kane to leave. Even some of the discussion we've had with Mark about the type
of manager Spurs contract, I think one of the issues at Spurs over the past four years is,
as Mark says, they've had visions of being in that top bracket of clubs that signs big name
managers. But they're not really that. They're in the bracket below, which meant they couldn't
back those big name managers in the way they wanted. It's created that disconnect, and it's
no surprise that they've done best in the last decade, or really the last few decades, when
they've appointed an up-and-coming manager, which Pochettino was at the time. I think that's what
they need to go back to. But if they go back to that, it does mean a wait for Kane again,
for a player that really at this point in his career now should be making good on that immense
talent and winning trophies now. But of course, again, the other side of that is Levy can't allow
him to go this summer. I just can't see him counting that, given the amount of uncertainty
about Tottenham. For me, there's just a hunch, and I suppose weighing up everything we know
right now, I can see where Kane stays for a year, then leaves in a Bosman next summer, where he has
a lot more options. Because obviously, I can't see Levy selling to an English club now. We know Kane
wants the Premier League record, but he might be able to do that if he stays for a year and goes
next summer. But Mark, Kane also wants trophies, he wants winners' medals as well. Does he really
want to stay at a club if there's this continuing narrative of uncertainty? Probably not, but he had
his chance two years ago to go to Man City, and that didn't really work. Whether he pushed hard
enough, whether they really kind of tried to get that move to City, because City were in for him,
and they needed to get it done. So yes, he wants to win trophies, but what are the options on the
table? Probably Man United. Well, if you've got a Man United this summer, are they going to win
trophies next year? Well, they might win a Carabao Cup or maybe an FA Cup, but it's more
than what he's won already, but it's not the major trophies that you want. And I think Man United
don't want to deal with Daniel Levy, because they've done that before, and they don't want to
get to the end of the window and find that August 30th has arrived, and they still haven't got Harry
Kane. So Spurs and Harry Kane are backed into a corner. There's no real positive outcome to this.
I think like Miguel, I think he stays because it's the easiest option for both him and Daniel Levy.
