Spurs should go for the older, wiser Hoddle

Tottenham can still reach the top four, but Daniel Levy has got to let Andre Villas-Boas' successor do his job
raeme !ouness "ublished# $$ December $%&'

(oddle is the right for the job )*+AL !,-"!.*/

,V+ 0&%%m to Brendan 1odgers2 .r David -oyes2 .r 3ose -ourinho2 .r Ars4ne 5enger2 5here 6ould their clubs be today7 That has to be the cru8 of Tottenham9s sac:ing of Andre Villas-Boas2 0&%%m7 ,f you 6ere 6riting the che;ues you 6ould have thought you 6ere going for the title this season< 6orst-case scenario top four2 =ou 6ere not thin:ing of seventh and losing >-% at home to Liverpool after losing ?-% at -anchester @ity2 ,t 6as not unreasonable for 3oe Le6is A the man 6ith the che;ueboo: A to e8pect far, far more2 And though Villas-Boas suggests at least four of the signings 6ere not his choices, 6hen a club spend 0&%%m the e8pectation level goes through the roof and the manager 6ill carry the can2 That9s a fact2 , believe that Le6is and his chairman, Daniel Levy, loo:ed at this season as a uni;ue opportunity2 5ith -anchester Bnited, -anchester @ity and @helsea all changing managers and Arsenal no great sha:es A or so it seemed A Tottenham could go for the "remier League title2 And that ambition is not unrealistic2 The landscape has changed# big players 6ant to be in London2 Loo: at it another 6ay2 (arry 1ed:napp finished fourth but didn9t ;ualify for the @hampions League because @helsea 6on it2 The ne8t manager does .C in his first season but misses fourth2 Then you spend 0&%%m and start the season li:e this2 Do you feel even one step closer to being a regular @hampions League club A or as far a6ay as ever7 , can understand the supporters9 disappointment2 !purs need another +nglish manager and , 6ould go for lenn (oddle2 ,9ve 6or:ed 6ith lenn on television and though 6e don9t agree all the time, he is :no6ledgable2 (e9s a thin:er on football, far 6iser than he 6as first time round2 And Tottenham are his club2 (e9s the right age )>?/, he has the right e8perience and he9s had a good loo: at things from outside management2 !ometimes 6hen you9re in jobs you get lost and you need to step bac: to see things fresh2 , say they need an +nglish manager this time because there seems to have been a fascination at Tottenham in loo:ing for the magic ans6er and thin:ing that it 6ill be found abroad2 Villas-Boas built his reputation on his first job but , had t6o years at Benfica and , can tell you that 6inning 6ith "orto, 6ho have big advantages in "ortuguese football, is not the hardest tas:2 Villas-Boas 6as fortunate to land the !purs job2 ,t 6as a strange choice2 Dootball9s a small 6orld and Levy could have pic:ed up the phone to people at @helsea2 The troubles Villas-Boas had there, 6ith man-management and other aspects, 6ere common :no6ledge2 (e9s a young coach 6ho has ta:en t6o big "remier League jobs and found them a bit much2

(e9s a clipboard manager, a modern type2 ,9m sure his theories are very good2 5hen he gets out the laptop or starts a "o6er"oint presentation, ,9m sure he9s brilliant2 But football is a simple sport2 Al6ays 6ill be2 The science many no6 believe is a myth2 There9s no magic formula2 *o boo: you can read2 The game has not changed2 ,t 6ill never be about the science, the tactics, the formations2 ,t9s still about having good players, putting them in the right positions and man-management2 Because good players don9t need a tactical presentation, they adapt to problems on the pitch2 5hen 6e 6ere 6inning +uropean @ups at Liverpool, teams tried every tactic# loading the midfield, three at the bac:, false *o Es2 And 6e solved them on the pitch2 5e never discussed formations, our jobs 6ere outlined and 6e did them2 ,f 6e needed to respond to a team by, let9s say, playing narro6er, 6e understood that2 Those 6ere not things 3oe Dagan or Bob "aisley needed to say2 ,f Cenny Dalglish had to drop off to give us an e8tra man in midfield, do you thin: he needed someone 6ith a clipboard to tell him7 !purs9 most successful recent manager7 (arry2 (e 6ould t6ea: things 6hen needed but generally he had a good, clear 6ay of playing and players 6anted to play for him2 ,t9s that simple2 Tim !her6ood is careta:er and believes he has a chance of the job2 , don9t :no6 Tim but 6hat , do :no6 is nothing prepares you for management, the feeling of responsibility2 =ou 6al: do6n the touchline, the stadium9s full, all those people have paid their money and they depend on your decisions2 The responsibility 6a:es you up in the middle of the night2 The top four remains a possibility but 6hoever manages !purs 6ill have to find a system that ma:es them harder to play against and gets them scoring more goals2 ood luc: 6ith that# >-% did not flatter Liverpool2 !purs 6ere all over the place and offered nothing2 ,f you play 6ith spirit you don9t lose >-%2 The players 6ho arrived last summer 6ill have to sho6 more than they have done so far and this brings us bac: to the 0&%%m2 , loo: at the signings# +ri: Lamela for 0'%m7 -aybe 6orth 0&%m2 !purs have a bigger s;uad than last season but are any of those arrivals going to decide games as areth Bale did7 To date, none has suggested he 6ill be a star performer2 The only one , feel for is 1oberto !oldado# he 6ould score goals in a team that provided for him properly2 !oldado, "aulinho and +tienne @apoue are, reportedly, the only signings Villas-Boas 6anted2 Levy 6ants to go 6ith a coach, not a manager2 That coach 6ill 6or: 6ith the signings in 6hich Levy A through his director of football A has a say2

5ell , struggle to thin: of any club in +ngland 6here this has been successful2 And ,9m not seeing Levy or Dranco Baldini, the director of football, putting his hand up, ta:ing responsibility and saying# FThese are my players2G -aybe they should2 Because all , see is Villas-Boas carrying the can2