One genius Argentine could bring a little bit of another back to Tottenham

Signing Marcelo Bielsa as Tottenham’s next manager would pave a way to restoring an enterprising system made famous by Mauricio Pochettino in north London. 

It wasn’t too long ago when Tottenham conducted themselves on the pitch like Leeds have since their recent rise back to prominence. Bielsa has made remarkable progress at the Yorkshire club since taking over the reins in 2018. The genius mastermind instills a brand of football reminiscent of Pochettino at his peak with Spurs, between 2015 and 2018.

Taking into account what Bielsa has achieved in his relatively short time at Leeds, it might be nigh impossible to lure the 65-year-old away from the Yorkshire club. Though improbable, Daniel Levy should pull out all the stops to secure the Argentine’s services.

Tottenham were yesterday overwhelmed by Bielsa’s variation on the gegenpress originating out of Germany, made famous by Liverpool gaffer Jurgen Klopp. It takes the right personnel, a well-crafted plan, an inordinate amount of discipline, a detail-oriented maestro at the helm and an indefatigable set of players to execute expertly Bielsa’s brand of football.

And the expansive, run-and-gun style is by no means without shortcomings. But the pros, if mastered, far outweigh the cons. A manager of Bielsa’s inarguable pedigree would cost Tottenham financially, but it would be worth it in the long run.

What gaffer is better suited to spearhead and manage a rebuild in north London?

Bielsa still conducts his interviews in Spanish, reflecting his fledgling knowledge of English.

Remind you of the previous Argentine who took the reins at Tottenham? Pochettino arrived at Spurs, after a stint at Southampton, still unable to freely and fluently express himself in English.

Learning English, though, is the easy part, which Bielsa is obviously doing behind the scenes.

The hard part is fomenting, building and fostering a balanced team that can execute a philosophy and brand of football with a high degree of difficulty, where the margin of error is miniscule.

Unfortunately the chances of Leeds letting their inspirational manager go are as slim as winning the lottery after buying a ticket for the first time.

While it might be aspirational, even whimsical, to entertain the thought of Bielsa taking over the reins at Tottenham, the idea of returning to a Pochettino-like system stirs a level of excitement not felt since the Argentine’s heyday five years ago.