[Archived] Spurs

[Tris]

Can't see Sparky staying if Jol does end up getting the sack and Spurs were to come in for him.

Manage a club where he will receive generous enough backing from the owners to mount a serious challenge to the "big 4" or soldier on indefinitely here with no financial backing and owners who have been great for us in the past but who now clearly want to sever their connections?.

I would only hope that he would feel Spurs are in too much of a mess to take it on. In reality though, is there anything really that wrong with them that a bit of organisation, the return from injury of Ledley King and the signing of another decent centre half wouldn't resolve?

Remember also it was widely reported that Sparky would even have taken the Citeh job had it been offered to him.

I completely disagree with your line of thinking Rev. If it was so simple and only down to financial backing - Jol wouldn't be in any trouble, Curbishley would be top 4, Newcastle would be permanent fixtures in the Champions League, Liverpool wouldn't just have lost to Besiktas and Abramovic would be in the House of Lords.

There is no sign that the current owners will sever their connections at the drop of a hat - quite the opposite. Otherwise the deal would have been done already. The best ownership in the Premier League is still supporting our football club with hard cash.

And Hughes is clearly a long term man. He has built a loyal squad - they respect his methods and respond to his decisions. Eg Benni Mac ... Hughes has even made public the minute detail of the individual work Benni's been asked to do recently - and look at the results. Samba has just penned a 5 year deal. This team is on the verge of something very special this season - built on Mark Hughes' methods rather than silly cash-induced fantasy squad building.

Hughes won't desert his players now to take over a bunch of hopeless overpaid idiots. Can you imagine that lot playing the Hughes tough game like Rovers had to when fighting relegation?! Crikey - Chimbonda even wears gloves when it's 70 degrees and sunny!!! Berbatov won't warm up if he's left out of the starting line up!

I do worry about Hughes in the longer term, I think if we don't finish top 4 this time then there's a real risk he'll move on next summer. If we do sneak into the CL we may get another season from him.

But in the short term, Spurs can forget it - so stop worrying!!!

[RevidgeBlue]

I do worry about Hughes in the longer term, I think if we don't finish top 4 this time then there's a real risk he'll move on next summer. If we do sneak into the CL we may get another season from him.

Great post Tris, I hope you're entirely correct but you do contradict yourself somewhat with that paragraph!

What if none of the five or six domestic jobs that might be deemed more attractive than Rovers are actually available next summer etc

[Tris]

Great post Tris, I hope you're entirely correct but you do contradict yourself somewhat with that paragraph!

What if none of the five or six domestic jobs that might be deemed more attractive than Rovers are actually available next summer etc

I just think that he won't leave a job half done - ie quit Rovers mid-season - OR at the end of this season if Rovers make the huge next step into the CL - with all the excitement and potential - and novelty - that brings.

If we end the season with anything less (even cup silverware), I can imagine that Hughes might opt to leave Rovers this summer - because he clearly has the ability to progress faster than Blackburn Rovers are able.

If the domestic jobs don't happen to be there (I think there are only 4 more attractive than Rovers rather than 5/6) he will have the pick of Europe, and as his playing career shows, I'm sure he wouldn't shirk any challenge abroad.

[Damage]

Well I think Hughsie is crap.

And believe me I will be telling EVERYONE exactly that!

[FourLaneBlue]

If the domestic jobs don't happen to be there (I think there are only 4 more attractive than Rovers rather than 5/6) he will have the pick of Europe, and as his playing career shows, I'm sure he wouldn't shirk any challenge abroad.

Moving abroad would be a big step...I can't see a seemingly happy manager uprooting his family from a job he seems to love for anything less than a toip job abroad.

So far...Hughes hasn't done anywhere near enough to get one of those jobs. If he does then it means he has taken us on to a further level yet. In such circumstances we couldn't complain...as we'd either be champions league or parading a cup...

[Damage]

So far...Hughes hasn't done anywhere near enough to get one of those jobs. If he does then it means he has taken us on to a further level yet. In such circumstances we couldn't complain...as we'd either be champions league or parading a cup...

Why do you think "big clubs" are so blinkered that they only only employ managers that have already achieved or have popular fan-support?

Just a couple for you to comtemplate ......

Mourinho becomes Porto manager .....

Wenger becomes Aresenal manager ....

I wont go on but there are many more from the past and will be more in the future.

No one should presume to know MH motivations or reasoning. Anything is possible.

Personally belive that MH moving to spurs would be a bad career move at this time. but I am biased.

[FourLaneBlue]

Why do you think "big clubs" are so blinkered that they only only employ managers that have already achieved or have popular fan-support?

I don't.

Just a couple for you to comtemplate ......

Mourinho becomes Porto manager .....

Wenger becomes Aresenal manager ....

Wenger was hand-picked from abroad and also had a French title under his belt...Mourinho had been assistant manager at Barca.

It could happen with Hughes but my point that only a big club hand-picking him would take him away from Rovers which must seem a very nice position with fans who adore him at a club he used to play for is very unlikely indeed. Right now I don't think a really big club would go for him until he does something a bit more spectacular.

I wont go on but there are many more from the past and will be more in the future.

Of course....now where exactly did I say it was impossible rather than just my opinion?

I wont go on but there are many more from the past and will be more in the future.

No one should presume to know MH motivations or reasoning.

No but why can't we speculate as we are doing...

[philipl]

I agree with the rationale of FLB and Tris' posts.

I think the REAL hurdle will be the following. Any Manager contemplating the Spurs job has got to assess why a succession of reasonably successful managers have failed at that club and can only conclude that there is something very wrong in the set-up there.

If the club is geared up for perpetual failure (relatively speaking), it doesn't matter how good you are, your career is much safer at Blackburn than it is at Spurs.

So the crunch would be, will Hughes have the balls/good sense to demand the firing of Demicolle (or whatever he is called), the PR Director and have an agreement which makes Levy interfering with team affairs a contract-breaking matter? Demicolle has to go when you look at the utter mess he's made of the transfers.

Anybody with career ambitions (ie don't see Spuds as the summit but another stepping stone to the top) is going to have to demand those prior conditions to be able to feel comfortable that their own talent will be given a chance.

I think Levy would walk away from anyone making those demands.

You also have to remember that whilst Rovers would negotiate hardball if Man U came calling, they would be relatively pliant. Do you think Spuds would allow Sparky to speak with Man U or Chelsea? It is part of the Spuds psyche that they are at LEAST as big as those clubs and it would be a complete existential crisis if their Manager were ever to be "poached". If Hughes made a success at Spuds he would be locked in and face who knows what in terms of Court cases etc if he ever tried to move on at his own volition.

That leaves the "little" matter that he would be paid three times as much at Spuds than at Rovers.

However, I think Hughes is valued at Ewood and no doubt there is something in the various rumours about contract talks etc. which one paper has mentioned. There is a definite and calculable financial cost to losing a manager, let alone one as good as Sparky, and no doubt the Rovers have got the abacuses out working out opportunity costs in a series of scenarios. Even without a takeover, the Walker Trustees have their obligation under the Walker Settlement and will need to act if faced with an avoidable loss of Sparky (as opposed to Man U ringing up).

Perversely, the intensisty of speculation linking Hughes to Spuds could be good news for us Rovers fans if the Trust decides to defend their interest in the club which I think is a reasonable probability that they would. If a takeover is possible, they will want to optimise value so they would protect the club's worth and if there is no takeover, the downside of losing Sparky to Spuds in financial terms means they will need to react as well.

The Mirror have run this in their Spuds section. If Nicko had written it, I would have been more concerned but as that story is intended for Spuds fans to consume I guess that is as positive a spin for Spurs as the Mirror could produce.

[joey_big_nose]

If the domestic jobs don't happen to be there (I think there are only 4 more attractive than Rovers rather than 5/6) he will have the pick of Europe, and as his playing career shows, I'm sure he wouldn't shirk any challenge abroad.

I agree that he is the sort of character foreign clubs would look at.

As for the only four domestic clubs comment I am not really sure thats true. If you take the long term view (ie. in the longer term could this club maintain a precence at the very top of the Premeir League?) then there are actually around ten or eleven clubs more capable than us mainly due to substantially bigger fanbases (Villa, Everton, Tottenham, West Ham, Newcastle, Man City, Sunderland plus the big four).

Our great advantage seeems to be that we have a board who are very accomodating to the manager which, by neccesity of the pressure placed upon them, is harder to achieve at these (in terms of support) larger clubs.

So I think Hughes will stay due to his investment fo himself into the team and the very comfortable relationship he has with the club. The only thing that worries me slightly is that Hughes' biggest strength is his long term planning. THe fitness programs, the nurturing of talent, purchasing of players to be broken in slowly, the tactical evolution through the season. From that approach Hughes could look at Spurs with the support and the money available and think - "if I give myself three years to pull everything together the sky is the limit". And he would be right in a way... But he will stay!

[DanLad]

The only thing that worries me slightly is that Hughes' biggest strength is his long term planning. THe fitness programs, the nurturing of talent, purchasing of players to be broken in slowly, the tactical evolution through the season. From that approach Hughes could look at Spurs with the support and the money available and think - "if I give myself three years to pull everything together the sky is the limit". And he would be right in a way... But he will stay!

But he knows that he'd never be given 3 years...

[gumboots]

He might also think would spurs give me the 3 years it's taken me at Rovers to get things the way I want? The answer to that is almost certainly no.

[den]

This could be taken either way.

I'd much prefer a "not interested" comment.

OOps, just seen Philip's post. Sorry.

[sussexrover]

Correct me if I'm wrong - but I'm pretty sure that is just a re-hash of the quotes made when he was being linked with the City job. Nothing new there, and just typical pot-stirring to my mind.

[USABlue]

How anyone in their right mind can be so naive as to think Sparky can not be prised away from here by the like of Tottenham is delusional. Spurs would be a magnificent feather in the dap for Sparky. They have talent, cash and a terrific fan support. He could turn them around and make them into a force with pretty much the same squad as they have now, of course he'd likely add Samba to that back line. Come on people Spurs is a fantastic opportunity for any manager, possibly more so now than any other time in recent history.

Anyway it's all premature, I have a sneaky feeling the next Prem manager for the axe will actually be Benitez.

[LWX]

How anyone in their right mind can be so naive as to think Sparky can not be prised away from here by the like of Tottenham is delusional. Spurs would be a magnificent feather in the dap for Sparky. They have talent, cash and a terrific fan support. He could turn them around and make them into a force with pretty much the same squad as they have now, of course he'd likely add Samba to that back line. Come on people Spurs is a fantastic opportunity for any manager, possibly more so now than any other time in recent history.

Anyway it's all premature, I have a sneaky feeling the next Prem manager for the axe will actually be Benitez.

Not sure I agree with that.

[den]

How anyone in their right mind can be so naive as to think Sparky can not be prised away from here by the like of Tottenham is delusional. Spurs would be a magnificent feather in the dap for Sparky. They have talent, cash and a terrific fan support. He could turn them around and make them into a force with pretty much the same squad as they have now, of course he'd likely add Samba to that back line. Come on people Spurs is a fantastic opportunity for any manager, possibly more so now than any other time in recent history.

Anyway it's all premature, I have a sneaky feeling the next Prem manager for the axe will actually be Benitez.

Agreed.

Spurs would be a big attraction for ANY manager. Full stop. What else could any ambitious manager want?

[den]

A club without a Director of Football and disproportionate expectations for the coming season.

Yes but the director of football could be gone overnight.

[Jonnolad]

How anyone in their right mind can be so naive as to think Sparky can not be prised away from here by the like of Tottenham is delusional. Spurs would be a magnificent feather in the dap for Sparky. They have talent, cash and a terrific fan support. He could turn them around and make them into a force with pretty much the same squad as they have now, of course he'd likely add Samba to that back line. Come on people Spurs is a fantastic opportunity for any manager, possibly more so now than any other time in recent history.

Riddle me this then Batman - why is Martin Jol doing so badly with them now if everything is already supposedly in place?

This is the same manager who took them to 5th twice on the trot remember.

[joey_big_nose]

A club without a Director of Football and disproportionate expectations for the coming season.

To be fair Jol's disaster will have taken the wind out of their sails so that whoever does come in won't be expected to make miracles happen.

[Eddie]

Riddle me this then Batman - why is Martin Jol doing so badly with them now if everything is already supposedly in place?

This is the same manager who took them to 5th twice on the trot remember.

Ok, then answer the following questions for me:

1) Do they have a better squad?

In my opinion they most certainly do. Our side is balanced and good, but if both teams performed to the best of their ability we would lose.

2) Bigger stadium?

Yes.

3) More money?

Tons

4) More fans?

Yes

5) Better location?

From the perspective of attracting players most certainly yes.

We are a well run club with a very good bunch of players, but if Spurs got the right manager then we wouldn't stand a chance. They have everything in place in order to at least always secure 5th place, we don't.

[ABBEY]

I think Hughes would only leave us for Man United, Barcelona or Chelsea. At tottenham he would have to build his team all over again!

what about city as was reported in summer??

[Eddie]

I must add that I don't think Hughes will leave us for Spurs (if the chance presented itself that is), but I wouldn't exactly be shocked if he did.

[USABlue]

Riddle me this then Batman - why is Martin Jol doing so badly with them now if everything is already supposedly in place?

This is the same manager who took them to 5th twice on the trot remember.

Simple, he's lost his players. A poor start compounded by all the speculation pointing to Jol leaving put's the blame right at his feet. PLayers are not even trying now because they know they are not the ones being held accountable, the blame is squarely with Jol according to most sources therefore a couldn't give a toss attitude and a lack of confidence.

Holy no brainer Robin

[thenodrog]

Simple, he's lost his players.

As has/will Benitez imo.

[Hughesy]

Media Garbage. Ex Man Utd Legend, managing there biggest rivals, yet one day he wants to manage all his ex clubs? I think not!!

what about city as was reported in summer??