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Journalist says ‘extraordinary’ manager could’ve ended up at Spurs if they pushed a bit harder

Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
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Speaking on his YouTube channel, Alasdair Gold has been discussing Tottenham’s historic interest in Erik ten Hag.

The north London club were linked with every manager under the sun back in the summer of 2021 after getting rid of Jose Mourinho.

Ten Hag, alongside every other gaffer in Europe, was strongly linked with Spurs, but according to Gold, this one did actually have some legs in it.

Indeed, Gold says that he thinks that Spurs could really have gotten ten Hag if they’d pushed a little bit harder in negotiations.

Manchester United v Real Sociedad: Group E - UEFA Europa League
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Spurs could’ve had ten Hag

Gold spoke about Tottenham’s previous interest in the Dutchman.

“Of course, ten Hag, you’ll have heard me speaking about him back in the difficult days of speaking about the Spurs management farce. Ten Hag was a strong contender to take over and I still wonder looking back, I think if Spurs had pushed a little bit harder they could’ve gotten ten Hag instead. Instead, we got the ill-fated reign of Nuno Espirito Santo,” Gold said.

Didn’t end badly

Spurs seemingly could have had ten Hag back in 2021 if they had made a stronger approach, but in the end it’s all worked out ok.

Antonio Conte eventually came in to replace Nuno Espirito Santo, and while ten Hag is an ‘extraordinary’ manager, we’re not sure there are many who would swap him for Conte.

Conte just suits Spurs at the moment. He’s been Fabio Paratici’s right-hand man for quite some time, and he knows how to win trophies.

Meanwhile, ten Hag was unproven at the top level before moving to Manchester United, and he, quite simply, wasn’t what Spurs needed at that moment in time.

Ten Hag would’ve been better than Nuno, but he’s no Conte.