Glenn Hoddle on next Spurs manager and whether he would take the job

Glenn Hoddle has claimed that Daniel Levy’s decision on appointing Tottenham’s next head coach could be the biggest of the Spurs chairman’s tenure at the club.

After Tottenham called off talks with Paulo Fonseca and Gennaro Gattuso last week (the latter on the back of fan backlash), the club appear to be back to square one in their search for a new head coach.

Some reports have suggested that Tottenham might revisit candidates such as Nuno Espirito Santo and Erik Ten Hag, while new names like Ernesto Valverde have also been mooted as potential candidates.

Hoddle insisted that whoever comes in has plenty of work to do to get Spurs challenging, with the squad needing significant reinforcement.

The legendry midfielder told Betfair (as relayed by Football.London): “I know Spurs fans are just fed up to the back teeth with it now.

“There’s a big list of names that they have apparently approached but how many of those were realistic. We know for a fact that there’s been three or four they’ve gone for. Daniel Levy has got a real hard job on his hands.

“Once he decided to sack Mourinho he had to have someone to replace him. But that’s not happened and it’s not a great position to be with.

“We’ve come to a crossroads: the stadium’s fabulous, all the infrastructure is there and what Levy’s done is fantastic, to a degree.

“The squad has to be the priority but it can only be a priority if they get a manager in. The Kane situation needs to be dealt with eventually. It’s a real conundrum where Spurs are at the moment.

“To think only two years ago they were in the Champions League final. Now it’s going to take a rebuild, I don’t care who comes in, even if you had Shankly, Ferguson and Bill Nicholson all together in one, that team’s going to need changing over the next few seasons. That’s why Kane’s saying he wants to move.”

Another name who has now remerged as a target is Brighton boss Graham Potter, with Levy said to be turning back to his original manager shortlist.

Hoddle admitted that he has doubts over whether the 46-year-old would be able to handle the pressure that comes with managing the Lilywhites.

He added: “I’m still scratching my head to see where Levy’s going to go. I wonder if he’d be better going to someone who’s been in the Premier League, knows the Premier League. That might work better than going for a foreign manager.

“Graham Potter at Brighton has done a great job, but whether he can cope with the pressure is another thing. Only Daniel Levy knows and I get the feeling he’s chasing his tail at the moment.”

Hoddle also refused to rule out a potential return to the Spurs hot seat, admitting that the club remains close to his heart.

The 63-year-old said: “There have been so many names for the job, and people have jokingly asked me about it, I’m not sure about that. I’d love to go back there, but it’s a different era and a different scenario at the club.

“It’s been my club since I was eight years of age. It’s amazing the connection with the club I’ve had over the years. It’s unlikely, but never say never! Football always surprises you, doesn’t it?

“Daniel has got to make the biggest decision he’s ever had to make in the 20 years since being in charge of Spurs. It’s a crossroads for the club – I just pray and hope that he gets the right man that can turn things around.”

Spurs Web Opinion

Levy’s decision to appoint Fabio Paratici as the club’s managing director of football shows that the Spurs chairman realises that the club are at a crossroads. That is why he wanted to bring Paratici’s expertise on board to make the best appointment possible. However, the names we have linked with after the Italian’s arrival (like Fonesca and Gattuso) does not inspire one with confidence.

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