Daniel Levy Should Give Glenn Hoddle Another Chance To Manage Tottenham

Glenn Hoddle [Photo: Logan Holmes]Tim Sherwood has secured his first Premier League win as interim manager against Southampton which gives Daniel Levy and the Board consider some time while they their options to replace Andre Villas-Boas.

Sherwood clearly wants the post but I believe Glenn Hoddle should be given another chance to manage Tottenham.

Give Glenn Another Chance

Logan asked me to write a blog explaining why Glenn Hoddle is my choice to be the next Spurs manager.

Here we go then…pros and cons.

Pros

He is a died-in-the wool Tottenham man and England. Local, from Harrow.
He was one of our best ever players and stayed with us for many years.
He won trophies playing for us.
He won the French Ligue 1 as a player with Monaco and clearly learned from playing under Wenger.
He is an experienced and relatively successful club manager and coach – First Div play off winner 1993, FA Cup Finalist, League Cup finalist.
He is an experienced and relatively successful England manager. (one of the best win ratios. Won Tournoi de France 1987). That experience was gained at a young age and he only lost the England job for non-footballing reasons.
His comments and analysis on TV as a pundit have been intelligent, well-reasoned and sensible, both on Spurs’ and England’s performances.
He has had plenty of time to mature and should be less likely to make comments on faith and disability issues to bring embarrassment to his employers.
When his previous comments are inevitably dragged up he should be mature enough to not rise to the bait.
He wants the job and could walk into it straight away in time for the transfer window.
Spurs fans love him
He knows and understands the traditional Spurs way of playing.
The squad he would take over now is better than the one he had before, despite currently being on its knees.
He is my age, my wife likes him and in his playing days called him Mr. Lovely Legs.

Cons

• He was sacked by England for expressing controversial views concerning his faith and the disabled, following criticism from disabled charities. At the time I thought they were all being too precious about it. Since then I have become seriously disabled myself and it has only strengthened my views. Stop moaning and get on with what life you have left is my attitude. Surely he has been more than punished enough for that one comment. At worst it was a naïve one to make as national boss from a still young manager. He has had many years to mature since then, whatever his actual views are; he would probably not express them so publicly. A club manager’s job is not as sensitive as England manager. Also that was nothing compared to the behaviour Premier League clubs endorse now. Liverpool have just given a £10million a year contract to someone who repeatedly bites other players and uses racial insults. All they are concerned about is what a marvellous player he is. Anything goes otherwise.

• He came close but did not have the degree of success that we had hoped for in his first spell as Spurs manager, finishing 9th and tenth. He was sacked in September 2003, Spurs having dropped into the bottom 3 following a home defeat by his former club, Southampton. I think it was Daniel Levy’s first?  Ten years on are they over any damage that did to their relationship?

When you weigh the pros against the cons, the pros come out well on top for me.

So there you go, that’s why Glenn is my first choice. Over to you Mr. Levy.

Glenn Hoddle has been quoted, saying,

"I’ve supported Tottenham since I was 8, the clubs in my veins, yes I would go back, no I haven’t had any contact it’s speculation."