OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW Mighty Moorehouse!
IT’S THE most weird and strangely wonderful time of the year.
Not the festive period, although it may be fast approaching; what I’m referring to is managerial merry-go-round season.
Spurs have set the ball rolling in some considerable style, by not only ousting Mauricio Pochettino, but by quickly bringing in José Mourinho as his replacement.
The Argentinian may not have brought any trophies to the club, but sometimes the journey is more important than the destination, and Spurs supporters have been brought on a thrilling ride over the past five years.
There’s a limited amount of silverware on offer, and with the usual suspects more often than not mopping up the prizes, fans sometimes just have to savour the magic moments.
He did enjoy considerable success, leading them to their three highest Premier League finishes, but surely the exhillarating Champions League semi-final second leg victory against Ajax in Amsterdam is a high point that will live long in the memory of Tottenham fans.
Pochettino is a progressive manager who’s certainly capable of winning trophies given the right backing, something he didn’t always get at Spurs, so he probably had taken the club as far as he could and a new boss with fresh ideas may well be a positive move.
However, progressive certainly isn’t a word you’d use to describe José Mourinho. Maybe a few years back, but not from what we’ve seen in recent seasons.
Who knows, he may have managed to reinvent himself in his spell out of the game, but I won’t hold my breath and have a strong suspicion the moody, scowling Mourinho will return at the first sign of trouble.
It’s a bit like replacing Graham Norton with Pat Kenny. You know he’ll get the job done in a professional manner, but it just won’t have the same entertainment value.
After his honeymoon period, it’s inevitable that the football won’t be as free-flowing and exciting as what fans were treated to by his predecessor.
The press conferences might be a laugh a minute for a while and, at least, with a house in the English capital, he won’t be living, Alan Partridge-like, from a suitcase this time around.
Mourinho may have laid his head on a plush pillow in a posh Manchester hotel, a far cry from the travel tavern where Partridge resided, but there was always the sense that he never felt part of the furniture at Old Trafford and was only a temporary fixture.
Given Tottenham’s history of flair players like Ardiles, Hoddle and Gascoigne, this doesn’t seem like the perfect fit for Mourinho either, but only time will tell.
His time at United was swamped by negativity, but despite all the criticism of his demeanour and tactics, he did manage to do something Pochettino failed to do in his five years at Spurs: win trophies.
If the Portuguese does manage to bring silverware to Tottenham, maybe they’ll put up with substance over style for a while, but it’s undoubtedly a gamble as when Mourinho’s around things eventually tend to go up in flames.
Pochettino is being eyed up by Europe’s elite, but if he wants to stick around and continue to suffer the miserable English winters there’s sure to be plenty of jobs available in the not-too-distant future, with the men in the hot seat at Manchester United, Arsenal and Everton looking particularly vulnerable at the moment.
Most wouldn’t be surprised if his next port of call was Old Trafford, as it would hardly be a shock if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer got the old heave-ho from Manchester United given their struggles.
However, despite being one of the most sought-after coaches in the world, Pochettino would certainly have his work cut out to bring the Red Devils back to anywhere close to where they once were.
There’s no quick-fix solution to the problem, with a complete overhaul needed at the once mighty club.
It would be fascinating to watch if he took the short trip to the Emirates to take the place of under fire Arsenal manager Unai Emery.
There would be some sort of poetic justice if he brought the good times back to the Gunners after being treated shabbily at the end of hugely successful stint with their bitter north London rivals.
In this age where it’s a case of almost instant success or you’re out through the revolving door, it’s highly likely that another manager or two will be handed their P45 before Christmas, but there’s no need to shed a tear for their plight.
They won’t be begging for scraps of food like Oliver or have to suffer the consequences of poverty like Tiny Tim, instead they’ll be able to dine on the finest of cuisine and purchase the most extravagant of gifts, while barely putting a dent in their big fat compensation cheque.
Pochettino can move on to the next job, and whether he manages to build a new dynasty or fails spectacularly, there will still be another managerial post around the corner.
He can just hop back on the lovely merry-go-round, where Mourinho will probably be waiting.