Opinion: What next for Tottenham and why I’m glad Paratici might leave

Another week as a Spurs fan. Antonio Conte has been sacked. Stellini is the manager until the end of the season. And Fabio Paratici has stepped down, at least until the result of his appeal on April 9th. So, what next for Spurs amidst what is an absolute mess, even for us…? I think we […]

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Another week as a Spurs fan. Antonio Conte has been sacked. Stellini is the manager until the end of the season. And Fabio Paratici has stepped down, at least until the result of his appeal on April 9th.

So, what next for Spurs amidst what is an absolute mess, even for us…?

I think we can all agree that the Conte sacking needed to happen. After the comments he made, however true they were, there was no way he could walk back into anything but a toxic dressing room. Daniel Levy had to pull the trigger and did.

Had he stayed, I couldn’t see anything but Spurs missing out on Champions League football and heading into a summer transfer window with a toxic cloud hanging over the club, which is never ideal when trying to attract new players or agree new contracts with stars.

However, I don’t think many of us saw the Stellini twist coming. We all assumed it would be Ryan Mason for the season or a new manager. In all honesty, I don’t think there is much difference between Mason and Stellini anyway as they will likely make decisions as a duo.

Tottenham now have ten games to try and scrape their way into the Champions League and at least lift the mood around the club. I think the only way to do both is to take the handbrake off and let the players actually attack and control games – then just see what happens.

There is no exact science to managing a team for ten matches as an interim coach until a new full-time manager is found, so it really is anyone’s guess how Stellini will do and how the players will react. But hopefully we can get some form of sanity back when watching.

I have to say that I was happy to read the Paratici news and am keeping my fingers crossed he leaves the club permanently. That is not necessarily because I think he is a bad candidate for the job, I just don’t think it makes sense for him to stay anymore.

Spurs have done some good business with Paratici in charge, especially in the Italian market with the likes of Kulusevski, Bentancur, and Udogie. However, I can’t help but feel the Paratici plan was kind of tied to the Conte plan in a way.

Based on managers Paratici has been keen on in the past (according to rumours), you get the impression he likes a pragmatic coach like Conte/Nuno. He was also brought in to have a lot of control over transfers in North London.

For me, Tottenham need a new project, and any successful new project needs a completely clean slate. Spurs have not been aligned from top to bottom since the peak Pochettino years and it’s time to go back to that.

We need a young, attacking manager who wants to stay long-term, a director who shares the same philosophy, and a club willing to back the plans that manager has in mind. If you don’t tick all three boxes, you’re up against it from the start.

The recent success in the Premier League has come from long-term projects. Arteta is finally hitting his stride with Arsenal this year because he was given time. Klopp and Pep have built incredible teams over the past five years. Spurs need to get involved.

We are already playing catch-up. The Ten Hag era is going well at United. Man City and Liverpool will likely be forces again next season. Arsenal are flying. At least Chelsea are doing the decent thing and making Spurs fans feel better, I suppose…

The ideal situation for me, of course, would be to somehow lure Julian Nagelsmann in on a five-year deal. It’s very unlikely and involves a lot of things going Tottenham’s way in the market, but he is THE best candidate for what Spurs need.

Get Nagelsmann (or another young, attacking coach) in as early as possible in the summer. Talk to them in depth about what they need, the funds they require, the type of players and style they like. Then let them help to choose the next director.

I want to see the club, director, manager, players, and fans pulling in the same direction for the first time since 2019. It’s not just about ending the trophy drought, it’s about actually enjoying watching Tottenham again. What’s the point without that?

I have always tried to be balanced with Daniel Levy, weighing up the huge strides Spurs have made as a business under his stewardship and the on-field shortcomings. The unfortunate truth is that he has started to make poor business decisions too.

I am by no means ENIC/Levy out because I really just don’t see the point. They aren’t going anywhere for a couple of years at least, and Spurs have actually been spending money, contrary to the Twitter discourse.

It’s about making the smart decision on our next manager and spending that money on the players they actually want. I really think, with the new stadium and the money it pulls in, if Spurs can align themselves from top to bottom, we could achieve big things.

Since Pochettino, Levy has taken the lazy way out and tried to find a quick trophy fix with proven winners. I won’t be a hypocrite and pretend I wasn’t on board with that at first. But they never committed one way or the other.

If you’re going to do that, you need to spend a lot of money on the players they want HERE and NOW – that’s it. If you cannot afford to or do not want to do that, then don’t hire them in the first place.

Spurs were so scared managers not being around for the long-term, they always failed to give them everything they needed in the present. When you have a project manager on a long deal, that fear kind of goes away.

Signings for the future under Pochettino were still Pochettino signings because the idea was that he would still be there in the future. That’s why I just want to see everyone on the same page again.

Nagelsmann. Pochettino. Whoever Spurs get. Tottenham need a hard reset from top to bottom, and to start a project where everyone is pulling in the same direction from day one. Please. For our sanity!

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