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Alasdair Gold

Fabio Paratici's big day and the Tottenham difficulty in reappointing Mauricio Pochettino

Jack00: "Do you know if there's any truth to the rumours of Luis Enrique being interested in the job if he was approached?"

Alasdair says: "I think the prospect of managing Tottenham will be a big draw for most coaches. They have some of the best training facilities in the world, aside from the best stadium, but they will all have to be convinced about what their target is, whether it's realistic and what is the ceiling for them at Spurs.

"Conte's very public tirade will have been noted by many potential candidates but there's also an element of ego to most of the top coaches. They believe that they can be the one who breaks the cycle.

"Luis Enrique would be a fascinating choice and he's someone Fabio Paratici loves, along with Porto boss Sergio Conceicao, who is reportedly considering stepping down at the Portuguese side.

"Enrique's football is very different to Conte's and would require a revamping of the squad, which might be no bad thing. There's also a element of risk with the Spaniard when it comes to his lack of success outside of his club management in his homeland, mainly those two seasons at Barcelona, and trying to apply his methods quickly at a Premier League club aiming to remain a top four club would be a big task."

READ MORE: The inside story as Daniel Levy faces major decision to call time on Antonio Conte Tottenham era

Mc87: "The next time you do a press conference with the Tottenham manager, who do you think you’ll be talking to?"

Alasdair says: "The next press conference won't be until the Friday of next week. At this point, if you look at the percentages you'd probably expect it to be Ryan Mason taking it, but even that's not guaranteed.

"The feeling among some of the players is that Antonio Conte is unlikely to remain in charge. If that comes to pass, and it feels like its heading in that direction, Spurs will have to decide whether to hold off entirely on replacing Conte until the summer, to give themselves a wider spread of candidates, or make a move now for a free agent.

"If they hold off until the summer then Mason is the obvious choice after his last spell which brought four wins from six Premier League matches. However, there are 10 games remaining and Spurs are still in the top four. The stakes are far higher than when he took on the caretaker role as a 29-year-old back in 2021, although you could argue he also had a League Cup final as part of his remit.

"Spurs rate Mason very highly and he would likely relish the challenge. He might argue that anyone new coming in would have their own adaptation period as well as they learn about the team, the players and potentially the league."

charlieh1: "How much impact would Paratici have on a new manager's player choices, given his predicament, especially considering if Poch returns?"

Alasdair says: "The Fabio Paratici situation is an awkward one. We will know the result of Juventus' appeal against their punishments from the Italian football federation, including Paratici's 30 month ban, on April 19. If they are not successful then his ban is being tipped to be extended worldwide, which would make his job near on unworkable. There are also other investigations going on, including one started by UEFA.

"I certainly know some agents who spoke with him in the January transfer window were surprised that he was still so fully involved in operations and it was business as usual despite the noise around him.

"As for any potential managers coming in, some prefer to work with directors of football. Mauricio Pochettino is not believed to be one of them, unless he knows them well and trusts that they are in sync with their football philosophy.

"From the outside it's difficult to see Paratici and Pochettino sharing a similar view on football with their backgrounds, but you never know."

jackward: "How likely is De Zerbi to Spurs?"

Alasdair says: "I think Spurs may well see a lot of similarities to what Mauricio Pochettino was doing at Southampton with De Zerbi's impact at Brighton, although it's over a shorter time period so far.

"He even prefers the 4-2-3-1 that Pochettino used, while also being able to switch to a back three or a 4-3-3 when required.

"The Italian would naturally fall into the summer category of candidates as it's doubtful he would walk out on the Seagulls at this stage of the season. He would also be expensive with reportedly a big £11m release clause in his contract.

"Like Conte, De Zerbi is also known to be a bit of a livewire behind the scenes, but his football would likely win over plenty of fans if he can get Tottenham playing as his Brighton team do.

"It's all down to Levy really and what kind of direction he's going to tread in next. If he wants a project manager then the 43-year-old is an up-and-coming coach and he could do a lot worse, but it's whether the Spurs chairman is prepared to gamble again with all eyes on him or take a safer, but still not guaranteed to succeed, option."

spurs2021: "Would Gianni Vio go with Conte in the divorce?"

Alasdair says: "It's difficult to say for certain at this stage, but Conte did bring in the Italian as part of his coaching staff and any new man might want to bring in his own people. It would be standard practice for most of the coaching team that came in to depart together with the head coach."

elliottharvey: "With regards to a potential new manager do you think the senior players - the obvious one being Kane - will have any input into who Tottenham appoint?"

Alasdair says: "I would be surprised if the likes of Harry Kane are not taken into consideration. While it might not be direct consultation with the player, you would imagine (or hope) the club would at least take into account that it might be a good idea to impress their star player who they have yet to offer a new contract to, with an exciting appointment if Conte goes."

will24: "Do you think there will be any players that will want to leave the club now that Conte looks to be leaving players like Perisic and other players who were signed to play under him?"

Alasdair says: "I think everyone will make up their mind in the summer. Everything hinges on who replaces Conte if he departs as expected. Some managers will require a wholesale revamp of the squad, some might be able to work with what they had. Some players might have come to the club purely for Conte, while others might believe he was their best bet of winning silverware so may be keen to move on. Some players out on loan may come back into the equation. Everything is going to be up in the air once again."

louieb: "There’s lots of talk that Levy is still a huge fan and has a great relationship with Pochettino, whilst others in the hierarchy hold some reservations. What impact will that have on the decision or will levy still go for him?"

Alasdair says: "From what I understand there is a split in opinion among the board over any potential return for Mauricio Pochettino. I suppose his return would be admitting a mistake for some.

"There's also the Argentine himself to take into account and whether he believes it's the right time to return. It's a very different Tottenham he'd be returning to with a very different structure inside it.

On the other hand, he's been out of work for a little while and it could be a good opportunity for him to grab control of the club and shape it how he wants this time, if handed the opportunity. Perhaps that's what some inside may fear."

jramsey: "I’ve just read something saying bring Harry Redknapp back with Mason until the end of the season, do you think this would be a good idea or any chance of actually happening?"

Alasdair says: "I don't think it would be the best idea. Redknapp hasn't managed in football for almost six years or a Premier League club in more than a decade. I'm not sure it would be seen as the most progressive move. Personally I'd rather see Ryan Mason given more experience alone if they're going down the interim route."

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