There are some moments in football where you can sense that the ground beneath your feet has shifted and left the landscape transformed. We had one of those moment yesterday when the full time whistle blew at Villa Park.
Their team had just completed the incredible comeback from the disastrous Gerrard tenure where they were on the brink of the drop to qualify for Europe. That was enormous for them … and may be important for us.
Because that results consigned Spurs to eighth spot.
That means there will be no European football for them next season.
That does two things.
It makes an approach for Ange more likely – who in God’s name will take that job now? – but it also makes it less likely that it will hold any interest for a boss who has already qualified for the Champions League Groups.
The impact on Spurs will be momentous. Harry Kane was already said to be swithering about committing his future. He won’t stay now, he can’t. He will have offers from top clubs, Champions League clubs … and Spurs will not only probably struggle to keep him but they will definitely struggle to replace him with anyone of similar quality.
The very best players will not want to miss out on European football, even if it’s for one year.
In prestige terms alone, this is a catastrophic outcome for them … and it changes everything as far as their pursuit of a top class manager goes. They are literally tearing up the shortlist and starting again. Ange, because he’d be cheap and because their board arrogantly presumes he would not be able to turn it down, will clearly be a candidate.
Which is to say he’ll be amongst the names discussed.
On balance, I still don’t believe that the offer will come our way.
I have never believed that Spurs will approach a club in the SPFL about a manager no matter how well he’s doing here. But it’s important not to completely ignore these stories, especially when the volume continues to go up.
Spurs failure to even make the lowest tier of European football next season means that their board has to pull a major rabbit out of the hat to appease a fan-base which is going to be increasingly angry at them.
To hire an SPFL boss now … I think that might trigger a season ticket sales melt-down.
The irony, of course, is that they sacked Conte with him still in a Champions League spot … that should be a signal to anyone who takes the job that they are a club with a grossly unrealistic view of where they stand in the global game.
They haven’t won a major honour for fifteen years, and that was the League Cup.
So I don’t know where this idea that they are some European force comes from, except for one appearance in a Champions League final … and they sacked the guy who got them there a matter of months later, which shows you what a schizophrenic club they are.
Yesterday’s was a devastating blow to their pride and self image. Levy needs to rectify that.
So Ange will considered … but I expect them to move on for someone like Potter, who has his own reputation to rebuild.
Rodgers too will be in the frame, although he would be mad to take this job on.
But the list of managers who will be interested just got shorter.
The next guy has to hit the ground running, or have a reputation which is sufficient to soothe the fans and convince them to give him time. So Ange will automatically move up the list because names will drop off it … but the job itself has become a little less attractive, the position of any new boss a little less secure, the lure of the club a little less glamorous and appealing.
And I think that’s very good news for us.
If reports which suggest we’re preparing to make Ange the highest paid manager in our history are true then we might get the announcement that we all want most after the cup final next weekend.
I cannot wait for it.
We’re in special times here and I think we’ve got much, much more to look forward to. Once this Spurs issue is settled – and it very soon will be – we can enjoy the summer and start looking forward to the next campaign.
But the cup final first!
And we should all be counting the minutes down.
James
Imho. That job at Spurs is made for Brendan and I think he will get it
HH
Hiu James. No need to post this comment Sad to be writing this as I enjoy your pieces immensely but please stop using references to mental Illness, It’s lazy and often wrongly used and more often wrongly read. Ive been a Mental Health nurse for over 35 years and can handle pretty much anything as you can imagine but this really winds me up ! Your use of schizophrenia this time reads as a reference to the delusional state of Spurs but usually it’s used to describe split personality which is completely incorrect.
I’ll get off my soap box now Here’s to a treble , hail hail
Tbh ah think it’s a high probability Ange will move on sooner than later. Tho ah think he’ll want tae give Europe another crack with us first. If it’s the case and he does go, imo it’s no too early tae be thinkin that hopefully, Lawwell and Desmond are already doin a lot of research for a suitable replacement, tae prepare for if and when that happens. They need tae show ambition and go all out tae keep our momentum goin. Anyway, hopefully complete the treble and get the Scottish cup in the trophy room as well on Saturday. We’ll see what happens from there.
Good and beautiful morning to you all. It’s a beautiful day, a jelly and ice cream sort of day, but a bit early for that just now. It’s the time of day for reflection.
And I imagine Ange is sitting reflecting, on the weekend and the weekend to come and the new season to come after that. And of all the things he’s thinking of I’d put my house on it that Spurs aren’t even a moment’s consideration on his mind because not only because of the factors you already stated James but because he has a project that he is in the middle of with us. And being the type he is, he will see that project through.
Another factor that leaves me completely comfortable that Ange isn’t going anywhere is I have no doubt that Spurs will soon have Rodgers in place. He fits their profile in every way of the type of manager they are looking for. He will be in place by the end of June. I’d put my jelly and ice cream on it! Here’s to another treble! God bless you all. Have a great day everyone! HH!
Got a cracker of a story for u m8 sent it to u on messagner check it out and let me know what u think about it
No way will Ange take the job (even if he’s offered it which I doubt) – Rodgers would be a good shout for Spurs. They need a manager who can come in and make an immediate impact (which is Rodgers forte), play attacking football (again a forte of his) and who knows the EPL which he clearly does. I woud expect him to get them challenging for top 4 within the first season and even if they fail to make CL they’ll get EL football which is a start and I would bet on them winning a domestic cup inside two seasons. After 3years it will all unravel (as it always does with him) at which point they can sack him but at least in the meantime they’ll have had some success which is a hell of a lot more than they’ve had recently.
During the tenure of Daniel Levy 2001-2023, Tottenham has had 20 Managers
including 7 acting and caretaking in 22 years. Pochttino was there the longest.
They sack Mangers at the drop of a hat. Ange likes Clubs that commit to his plan
and give him time. Ange would not tolerate the Tottenham sword, hanging over his head.
He has been given tremendous support from the Celtic Club.
This Ange to spurs nonsense looks like it is not going away for the time being.
So with so much shite been claimed, as really can’t see how the job would or could appeal to Ange whatsoever.
So what’s next with the bullshit, Ange will look to take kyogo, Hatate and meada with him for 60M.
Might as well jump on the bullshit wagon the Scottish media likes to sit proudly upon also
Personally I think there are a number of candidates that will be being considered by Spurs ahead of Ange and if Rodgers is one of them I reckon he’d jump at the chance. He certainly is a man motivated by the potential of a club in the bigger league and his own image and his own personal wealth.
Can’t really decide in my mind if asked if Ange would go, particularly now. He has I think loyalty issues that would be part of his thinking ie he has signed a number of players from the Asian market and will want to be loyal to them for now at least. Perhaps not, but he comes across as a genuine man with considerations over and above personal income, unlike others. Admittedly this is a rare morality and principled position in the modern game as Scottish commenters of the game up here like to keep alluding to but it’s just my assessment of the man.
It would help if Celtic FC gave the man and the fans some ‘reasons to be cheerful’ – a greater financial commitment guarantee over and above our current levels of spending towards squad improvement and an improved contract for Ange would be reassuring as well. We’ll see where we are at and what we’ll have for the coming season soon enough but as the man says we have a cup to focus on and win. HH Champions
From friends down south it appears to be a non story only in the desperate Scottish Press is their desperation for Ange to move on
Spot on, but through all this and for years all this tripe about Spurs being a big major club its time to get realistic, they are not, just another middle of league club living on there past, all because they always seemed to have attracted great players without realy dominating the league
Ange was NEVER going to go spurs europe or not .he is STAYING at Celtic for at least nxt two seasons , it,s only hard up reporters and idiotic agents that spread the bull s,h,i,t , clubs in England think they can wave fractions of true value at Scottish players /coaches and snap their fingers snd deal is done ,not with ANGE he,s no glove puppet for NO ONE