There’s a good chance Tottenham go back to Mauricio Pochettino this summer, but would it be the right move?
Obviously, right now, Spurs fans have five months of Igor Tudor to look forward to. But, beyond that, the future is still unclear.
The Lilywhites need to stay in the Premier League, first and foremost. Then, the club needs to find a new permanent manager to usher in another new era in N17.
Tudor has been told he won’t stay on as manager after the summer, and Mauricio Pochettino is the top choice to take over after the World Cup.
Here are five reasons why that’s a great idea, and two possible concerns.
Why Mauricio Pochettino is perfect for Tottenham
He actually wants to return to Tottenham
There should be a huge queue of managers desperate to take the Tottenham job, but the desire of Pochettino to come back to the club speaks volumes. The fact of the matter is, the project at Spurs is not the most enticing right now, and we’ve seen reports of various managers being unwilling to jump on board.
One thing Tottenham cannot afford this summer is a long drawn-out process of chasing different managers (and being rejected). If Pochettino is keen, that has to count for something, and it would save Spurs a lot of time and hassle.
The Spurs squad fits Pochettino’s style
Pochettino wanting the job should never be the sole reason to hire him, but thankfully, he’s a good fit, too. In fact, the Spurs squad suits Pochettino perfectly already. Yes, there would need to be quite a few signings to add depth, but the general core matches up to Pochettino’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation quite nicely.
Fans need the feel-good factor
Given how hostile the atmosphere around the club has been lately, it’s important for Spurs fans to get behind Igor Tudor and the players until the end of the season. Obviously, that works both ways, and the team absolutely need to give us a reason to be positive.
Come the summer, there would be no better way to bring some harmony to the club than to have someone like Pochettino in charge. The fan base loves him and we all look back fondly on his first spell with Spurs. Hopefully, he can recreate that magic and bring back the feel-good factor.
He won’t cost a penny
Again, this shouldn’t be the ultimate factor, but the fact the club could save money by hiring Pochettino will definitely play a part. Spurs have spent more than enough over the last year in sacking Ange Postecoglou, hiring Thomas Frank, and then sacking him, too.
Pochettino is out of contract after the World Cup, and the money saved on hiring him can go towards signing new players.
Pochettino will bring back the ‘Tottenham way’ of playing
Ange Postecoglou showed us more than a few glimpses of the kind of football we as fans demand from this football club. Thomas Frank well and truly killed that, but we can get that back under Pochettino. He knew how important it was to play exciting, attacking, brave football, and reclaiming that identity is a massive dealbreaker for fans moving forward.
Pochettino appointment would have its drawbacks
He’s not had much success since Tottenham exit
Let’s be honest, Pochettino has not exactly been swimming in trophies since he left Spurs in 2019. A tough spell at PSG saw him claim the league and cup double (as well as the French Super Cup), but given the quality at his disposal there, that was to be expected.
He didn’t win anything at Chelsea. If anything, he struggled there, and things never really clicked at Stamford Bridge. Pochettino hasn’t had a chance to show what he can do with the USA, really, so we will reserve judgment on that until the World Cup.
Pochettino thinks he’s a better manager now than he was when he left Spurs. I’d say that’s still up for debate.
Summer transfer window struggles
In the same vein as their managerial search, Spurs cannot afford to leave it late in the summer transfer window when it comes to signing new players, either. With Pochettino tied up until mid-July, that could really cause a hold-up for Tottenham’s transfer plans.
Obviously, the likes of Johan Lange and co. will be in charge of making the window a success, but Pochettino would need to be involved, too. Can Tottenham afford to let their rivals get a two-three week headstart on them in the market? Absolutely not.