Tottenham Hotspur are starting to look around for a new permanent manager, according to reports.
The Athletic claim Spurs have compiled a shortlist of candidates to replace Antonio Conte as their next head coach.
The feeling at Tottenham is that Conte’s departure from N17 is now “inevitable”, as per the report.
Quite a few managers have since been linked with the Spurs reins.
However, none have – or will – elicit an emotional reaction amongst Tottenham fans quite like Mauricio Pochettino.
‘Made it very clear’
The Argentine enjoyed five fruitful years at Spurs, the club going from strength to strength under his stewardship.
Tottenham were regular title challengers and even reached the Champions League final under Pochettino.
Since his sacking, Spurs have never quite achieved the same heights.
There has often been talk of a reunion, and with Pochettino currently out of work, such an appointment will never be easier to make.
However, according to Alasdair Gold, bringing the 51-year-old back to Tottenham may not be all that straightforward.
The football.london journalist, citing sources close to Pochettino, suggested he may not be too keen on taking the job right now.
Gold hinted that the coach may not feel the circumstances at the club have changed enough since he left N17.
“There’s also the question right now whether Poch would want to come back right now,” he said on his YouTube channel.
“Speaking to people that know him and everything, I don’t think it’s the foregone conclusion that people would have you believe.
“He’s made it very clear that he wants to return one day, but is it the right time right now?
“Have the circumstances changed enough from when he left? Or have the changes at Tottenham been of any benefit to him?”
Understandable
There’s nothing quite like a triumphant return narrative in football, but over the years, they haven’t always played out as per the script.
Tottenham’s Pochettino chapter is one of their finest in recent club history, as he got the club within touching distance of the ultimate glory.
However, if he returned to Spurs, the expectation is that he’d be able to replicate his earlier achievements before long.
As things stand, you can argue that Tottenham are weaker than when Pochettino left, and he’d have a lot of work to do.
With that in mind, you can understand why he’d be reluctant to dive back in at this moment in time.
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