Lewis/Pochettino vs Levy/Benitez vs Baldini/De Boer
It's a three horse race between owner Joe Lewis, part owner and chairman Daniel Levy and technical director Franco Baldini.
Joe Lewis is represented by his rumoured choice Mauricio Pochettino, Daniel Levy by his rumoured choice Rafa Benitez and Franco Baldini by his rumoured choice Frank de Boer.
Tottenham have their strategy in place and have their management structure in place, neither of those are changing. The chairman's statement to the fans made that clear when he said Spurs would be appointing a new Head Coach. That signals that the technical director role stays.
The youth based business model is the only long term model that fits our income bracket. We have to develop players to either improve the team or sell, or both. The academy has it's role to play in producing players to sell, players like Jake Livermore who has a cup final to play and then hopes to complete a £6 million move to Hull City.
As with any interview Tottenham will have their criteria but these managerial interviews are not all about a club saying this is what we want, can you do it. They are about hearing the vision the candidate has as well, what does he see for Tottenham, why does he feel he can make a difference, what is he bringing to the table.
The club sell a vision to a prospective manager but a prospective manager also sells a vision to the club.
Franco Baldini's choice, 44 year-old Dutchman Frank de Boer, will want control of football coaching from 8 upwards, no doubt his brother would come in as the finishing coach, the coach who prepares youth players just below the first team squad, a role his fulfils at Ajax.
Before interviewing De Boer Spurs need to know about the youth coaching at Ajax and how his ideas would affect the Tottenham academy. Would they integrate or would wholesale changes be needed? Does Levy want to give up that control?
There is no doubting his winning credentials both as a player and a manager, he has won a Champions League and played at one of the biggest clubs in the world. Now he is breaking records in Holland. It may be time for him to move to a bigger stage, almost AVB with experience you could say.
He teams play with a free flowing style though so fit with the Spurs vision, he has already said he could see himself managing Tottenham and remarked on our history so you feel he would have a feel for the club.
The 4-3-3 system comes before the players, much like Louis Van Gaal and developing the individual player ranks highly as does youth development.
Not the bookies favourite but probably the fans choice.
Frank de Boer - Player
Ajax
Eredivisie (5):1989–90, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1997–98
KNVB Cup (2): 1992–93, 1997–98
Johan Cruijff Shield (3): 1993, 1994, 1995
UEFA Champions League (1): 1994–95
UEFA Cup (1): 1991–92
UEFA Super Cup (1): 1995
Intercontinental Cup (1): 1995
Barcelona
La Liga (1): 1998–99
Frank de Boer - Manager
Ajax
Eredivisie (4): 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14 (Dutch record)
Johan Cruijff Shield (1): 2013
Assistant coach
Netherlands
2010 FIFA World Cup: Runner-up
Daniel Levy's choice, 54 year-old Spaniard Rafa Benitez, concentrates more on the first team and let's his team deal with development. Does that approach sit better with the academy set up. Do we just need a new Head of Player Development to take over the role Tim Sherwood had before his elevation. That was working well with players now coming through so having a Head Coach who concentrates on the first team fits the football model.
He is a proven multiple winner with European titles and Premier League titles to his name. His preferred formation is 4-2-3-1 using squad rotation and zonal marking, which our defence has struggled with previously. His team are not flamboyant but methodical. He wouldn’t have us playing the Tottenham way but he would have us competing and winning.
Do we want entertainment or do we want to win things, we won't get both with Benitez and that will split fans. He is not renown for developing youth players and that is part of our criteria.
Rafa Benitez - Player
Parla
Tercera División (1): 1981–82
Rafa Benitez - Manager
Real Madrid U-19s
Spain U-19 League (1): 1992–93
Spain U-19 Cup (2): 1990–91, 1992–93
Extremadura
Segunda División promotion (1): 1997–98
Tenerife
Segunda División promotion (1): 2000–01
Valencia
La Liga (2): 2001–02, 2003–04
UEFA Cup (1): 2003–04
Liverpool
FA Cup (1): 2005–06
FA Community Shield (1): 2006
UEFA Champions League (1): 2004–05
UEFA Super Cup (1): 2005
Internazionale
Supercoppa Italiana (1): 2010
FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2010
Chelsea
UEFA Europa League (1): 2012–13
Napoli
Coppa Italia (1): 2013–14
Joe Lewis's choice, 42 year-old Argentinian Mauricio Pochettino, is a bit of a dark horse. He improved players at Southampton but they were players already there, he is not proven in the transfer market. He has never won anything as a manager and has only improved teams to mid table. Tim Sherwood put 6 past him and beat him twice.
His teams attack, they play the pressing game we are now used to in a 4-2-3-1 formation. His side would play the Tottenham way so he'd bring entertainment, but would he bring success? Erik Lamela would presumably appreciate him being appointed being a fellow Argentinian.
He develops youth which is a requirement but it's that nagging doubt whether he has what it takes to win trophies. He left Espanyol bottom of the league having taken them off the bottom to mid table and finished mid table in the previous one and a half campaigns.
Mauricio Pochettino - Player
Newell's Old Boys
Argentine Primera División: 1990–91, Clausura 1992
Espanyol
Copa del Rey: 1999–2000, 2005–06
Mauricio Pochettino - Manager
Nothing
The same could be said of Brendan Rodgers and he nearly won the Premier League so given the resources it's possible he could have the same significant impact, it's just that there is no evidence to back it up, his appointment would be a guess. Should you simply be guessing for such an important appointment or should you be minimising the risk as much as possible.
There are pros and cons for all three so the three wise men have a lot of discussion to do, a lot of homework to do on the candidates, I suspect we'll know soon enough their decision.
Pochettino is available for interview, De Boer is available next week so perhaps the process will move forward then. Tottenham need to appoint a Head Coach by the end of the month so when the transfer window opens on June 9th we have a man and strategy in place.
The transfer window in Holland opens on June 11th, in France, Germany, Italy and Spain it opens on July 1st so a new Head Coach would have little time to get his feet under the table.
Joe Lewis is represented by his rumoured choice Mauricio Pochettino, Daniel Levy by his rumoured choice Rafa Benitez and Franco Baldini by his rumoured choice Frank de Boer.
Tottenham have their strategy in place and have their management structure in place, neither of those are changing. The chairman's statement to the fans made that clear when he said Spurs would be appointing a new Head Coach. That signals that the technical director role stays.
The youth based business model is the only long term model that fits our income bracket. We have to develop players to either improve the team or sell, or both. The academy has it's role to play in producing players to sell, players like Jake Livermore who has a cup final to play and then hopes to complete a £6 million move to Hull City.
As with any interview Tottenham will have their criteria but these managerial interviews are not all about a club saying this is what we want, can you do it. They are about hearing the vision the candidate has as well, what does he see for Tottenham, why does he feel he can make a difference, what is he bringing to the table.
The club sell a vision to a prospective manager but a prospective manager also sells a vision to the club.
Frank de Boer
Franco Baldini's choice, 44 year-old Dutchman Frank de Boer, will want control of football coaching from 8 upwards, no doubt his brother would come in as the finishing coach, the coach who prepares youth players just below the first team squad, a role his fulfils at Ajax.
Before interviewing De Boer Spurs need to know about the youth coaching at Ajax and how his ideas would affect the Tottenham academy. Would they integrate or would wholesale changes be needed? Does Levy want to give up that control?
There is no doubting his winning credentials both as a player and a manager, he has won a Champions League and played at one of the biggest clubs in the world. Now he is breaking records in Holland. It may be time for him to move to a bigger stage, almost AVB with experience you could say.
He teams play with a free flowing style though so fit with the Spurs vision, he has already said he could see himself managing Tottenham and remarked on our history so you feel he would have a feel for the club.
The 4-3-3 system comes before the players, much like Louis Van Gaal and developing the individual player ranks highly as does youth development.
Not the bookies favourite but probably the fans choice.
Frank de Boer - Player
Ajax
Eredivisie (5):1989–90, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1997–98
KNVB Cup (2): 1992–93, 1997–98
Johan Cruijff Shield (3): 1993, 1994, 1995
UEFA Champions League (1): 1994–95
UEFA Cup (1): 1991–92
UEFA Super Cup (1): 1995
Intercontinental Cup (1): 1995
Barcelona
La Liga (1): 1998–99
Frank de Boer - Manager
Ajax
Eredivisie (4): 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14 (Dutch record)
Johan Cruijff Shield (1): 2013
Assistant coach
Netherlands
2010 FIFA World Cup: Runner-up
Rafa Benitez
Daniel Levy's choice, 54 year-old Spaniard Rafa Benitez, concentrates more on the first team and let's his team deal with development. Does that approach sit better with the academy set up. Do we just need a new Head of Player Development to take over the role Tim Sherwood had before his elevation. That was working well with players now coming through so having a Head Coach who concentrates on the first team fits the football model.
He is a proven multiple winner with European titles and Premier League titles to his name. His preferred formation is 4-2-3-1 using squad rotation and zonal marking, which our defence has struggled with previously. His team are not flamboyant but methodical. He wouldn’t have us playing the Tottenham way but he would have us competing and winning.
Do we want entertainment or do we want to win things, we won't get both with Benitez and that will split fans. He is not renown for developing youth players and that is part of our criteria.
Rafa Benitez - Player
Parla
Tercera División (1): 1981–82
Rafa Benitez - Manager
Real Madrid U-19s
Spain U-19 League (1): 1992–93
Spain U-19 Cup (2): 1990–91, 1992–93
Extremadura
Segunda División promotion (1): 1997–98
Tenerife
Segunda División promotion (1): 2000–01
Valencia
La Liga (2): 2001–02, 2003–04
UEFA Cup (1): 2003–04
Liverpool
FA Cup (1): 2005–06
FA Community Shield (1): 2006
UEFA Champions League (1): 2004–05
UEFA Super Cup (1): 2005
Internazionale
Supercoppa Italiana (1): 2010
FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2010
Chelsea
UEFA Europa League (1): 2012–13
Napoli
Coppa Italia (1): 2013–14
Mauricio Pochettino
Joe Lewis's choice, 42 year-old Argentinian Mauricio Pochettino, is a bit of a dark horse. He improved players at Southampton but they were players already there, he is not proven in the transfer market. He has never won anything as a manager and has only improved teams to mid table. Tim Sherwood put 6 past him and beat him twice.
His teams attack, they play the pressing game we are now used to in a 4-2-3-1 formation. His side would play the Tottenham way so he'd bring entertainment, but would he bring success? Erik Lamela would presumably appreciate him being appointed being a fellow Argentinian.
He develops youth which is a requirement but it's that nagging doubt whether he has what it takes to win trophies. He left Espanyol bottom of the league having taken them off the bottom to mid table and finished mid table in the previous one and a half campaigns.
Mauricio Pochettino - Player
Newell's Old Boys
Argentine Primera División: 1990–91, Clausura 1992
Espanyol
Copa del Rey: 1999–2000, 2005–06
Mauricio Pochettino - Manager
Nothing
The same could be said of Brendan Rodgers and he nearly won the Premier League so given the resources it's possible he could have the same significant impact, it's just that there is no evidence to back it up, his appointment would be a guess. Should you simply be guessing for such an important appointment or should you be minimising the risk as much as possible.
There are pros and cons for all three so the three wise men have a lot of discussion to do, a lot of homework to do on the candidates, I suspect we'll know soon enough their decision.
Pochettino is available for interview, De Boer is available next week so perhaps the process will move forward then. Tottenham need to appoint a Head Coach by the end of the month so when the transfer window opens on June 9th we have a man and strategy in place.
The transfer window in Holland opens on June 11th, in France, Germany, Italy and Spain it opens on July 1st so a new Head Coach would have little time to get his feet under the table.
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