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Alasdair Gold

The reason Tottenham approached Mauricio Pochettino two years ago but have not yet this time

Ryangoles: "In 2021 the board seemingly wanted Pochettino but PSG refused to let him go, now there’s talk of the board having concerns about rehiring Pochettino over the way it ended in 2019 but what’s changed to make those worries an issue now when they weren’t in 2021?"

Alasdair says: "It's purely my opinion but I wonder if the difference is Steve Hitchen. Back in 2019 at that stage he was leading the search for the next manager and had a close relationship with Mauricio Pochettino so would more than likely have been a strong voice pushing for his return. I remember Tottenham were looking for the next Pochettino at the time and their shortlist reflected that so it would have made sense to try to get the actual Pochettino, but PSG were not budging.

"Then Fabio Paratici came in, drew up his own very different shortlist, Hitchen left midway through the season and it's now a very different structure within Spurs. That's my stab at it anyway."

READ MORE: Daniel Levy's lost control, his big Tottenham decision and what he wants in his next manager

Annie271: "Any update on the women's team manager please?"

Alasdair says: "At the moment it looks more than likely that Vicky Jepson will remain in charge until the end of the season before the club take the decision over the permanent successor to Rehanne Skinner."

macro spurs: "There have been reports mentioning that people within the club believe Vincent Kompany can replicate what Mikel Arteta did at Arsenal. Do you think he will be tempted to take the job if offered? Football is unpredictable and sometimes you have to take the chance whilst your stock is still very high."

Alasdair says: "That's a difficult one to answer without being inside his head. Although I agree with you that there's a number of top players who haven't quite had the managerial success it looked like they would, Gerrard and Lampard being two obvious names, so yes taking big opportunities when your stock is high is something that will cross managers' minds.

"As I've said before, Spurs have certainly considered Vincent Kompany and he's someone that Simon Davies, who works at the club's head of coaching methodology, knows well from their time together at City and Anderlecht, and he would be pushing the merits of him.

"It would also be a gamble, with the 37-year-old having not managed in a major top flight division yet. He may well want to see what he can do with Burnley next season in the Premier League and watching clubs might want to wait to see how he does first. Of course you could miss out via that route.

"I would say the closest thing Spurs have to Arteta is probably Ryan Mason, if you're looking at a young former player who has only had assistant manager experience thus far (other than those seven matches in charge in 2021)."

JoeyG10: Do you know if there’s any truth in the reports that Spurs are set to hold talks with Luis Enrique?"

Alasdair says: "The Spaniard is someone that Fabio Paratici (of course currently on a leave of absence) rates extremely highly and if they're going to do their due diligence in selecting the next head coach then it would make sense to speak to the top unattached managers (yes all of them) out there - those who want to speak to them - before the end of the season when others can be spoken to."

mattyice1311: "Of the candidates currently available, who would you want to be the next manager?"

Alasdair says: "I would love a project manager who would want to create a legacy at the club and not see them as a stepping stone. So for me that could mean Nagelsmann, De Zerbi, Slot, Amorim, Kompany, Alonso, Glasner or even Potter or that Pochettino chap. There's a lot of good options out there right now for such a manager. Whether Tottenham pick one over another short-term glamour appointment is another thing."

benabbotts: "Do you think Harry Kane’s contract is going to influence which manager Daniel Levy goes for? Do you think he is going to go for the manager he thinks gives him the best chance to keep Kane?"

Alasdair says: "I think Spurs have to look at what's best for the club and if they pick the right manager for them, one who changes the mood inside the club, has a team playing with style and gets Harry Kane enjoying his football then everybody wins.

"There appears to be no intention from Spurs of letting Kane go this summer despite his current contract situation and the striker is believed to be happy to discuss new terms when the club come to the table. Having an exciting manager for the long term in their corner will only help their cause."

ktmusic: "Do you think we really need Champions League football next season considering the way we play now or should we start from scratch and build over a few years as in the Pochettino era?

Alasdair says: "Unfortunately it's all about the money now and Spurs need every bit of it if they're going to take on the clubs with bottomless cash reserves. Also, having Champions League football (on paper) helps you attract better players and managers. I'd also hope Spurs play a lot better next season than they do this season. Hope of course is a dangerous thing."

RaveOL: "Do you think Fabio Paratici will win his appeal on Wednesday and how much credibility does he have now after all that's gone on?"

Alasdair says: "Juventus certainly seem confident but they did ahead of the original hearing which resulted in bans galore, some extended globally by FIFA. The problem for Fabio Paratici and in turn Tottenham is that even if this appeal is successful there are further investigations, the Prism one and UEFA launched their own one, which will be hanging around. It's not a great situation."

JBgtr: "What are your thought on the fates of some loanees next season, like Gil, Lo Celso, Ndombele and Reguilon?"

Alasdair says: "I wrote a piece about that last week, which can be found by heading right here, and who I think will still have a future and who won't. For me, of those who looked to be on their way out, Giovani Lo Celso is probably the one with the highest value at the moment because he's done well for Villarreal around his injury but he also could be the one who might fit back into Spurs best under a new manager. Whether the Argentina international wants to do that or the club wants that is another thing."

Burts1: "Do you not think the best thing for Tottenham to have done while they we’re waiting to appoint a new manager would have been to bring in someone like Harry Redknapp to work alongside Ryan Mason until the end of the season rather than keeping Stellini in as he was too close to Conte?"

Alasdair says: "The club went for continuity over a big shock to the system it seems, perhaps worried it would take too long to get used to another way of football so late into a season. Of course with one win in three it hasn't worked out the other way either at this point. I'm not too sure about bringing someone like Redknapp back into Premier League football after almost a decade away but I get what you mean."

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