Paul Merson says 'world-class' 51-year-old will be the next Tottenham manager
Paul Merson has claimed that Mauricio Pochettino will replace Antonio Conte as the new Tottenham Hotspur manager this summer, but he wants the Argentine brought in right now.
Spurs crashed out of two competitions in the space of a week, after previously getting knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Nottingham Forest. They have once again failed to end their trophy drought, and the pressure is on Conte now.
The Italian is expected by many to walk away at the end of this season. Merson thinks Pochettino will be appointed then, but he has urged Spurs to bring him in immediately.
Paul Merson says Mauricio Pochettino will be the next Tottenham manager
It really is the best thing for all parties for Conte and Tottenham to part ways.
The Italian is an excellent manager, there’s no debate about that, but things just haven’t worked out for him at Tottenham, and there’s no point in extending his contract.
The question now, however, is if it makes sense to keep hold of Conte until the end of the season or to sack him right away and bring in a new manager.
Merson is convinced 51-year-old Pochettino will be the next man in, and he thinks Daniel Levy should bring the ‘world-class‘ Argentine in right now instead of waiting until the summer.
The pundit wrote for The Daily Star: “Mauricio Pochettino is going to be appointed the manager of Tottenham in the summer, so why not get him now? There is no point messing about.
“What’s the point in keeping Antonio Conte, do you want to get in the top four or not? Spurs have just gone out of two competitions and it’s now been 15 years since their last trophy.
“Some of the teams that have lifted silverware during that stretch such as Wigan and Swansea for instance are not even from the same planet as Tottenham. Leicester have also won the Premier League and FA Cup, it’s crazy. I really don’t like to see managers get the sack as they are humans but at the same time you’ve got to shake things up. I would do it now. Spurs are a big football club and are currently going nowhere.
“For me, Pochettino should come on board as soon as possible. He could lift the players in the race for fourth and it also gives him time to prepare for next season. It’s such a win-win as Conte no longer looks like he wants to be there anymore.”
TBR View:
Merson sure seems confident that Pochettino is the next Tottenham manager, but is he the right choice?
Tottenham’s aim for a long time has been to end their trophy drought. It must be infuriating for their fans to watch their rivals lift silverware season after season while Spurs are going nowhere.
Jose Mourinho and Conte – two proven winners – have both failed to win a trophy, but Pochettino failed too. He spent over five years at the club and couldn’t get his hands on any silverware, which makes you wonder if things will be any different this time around.
Only time will tell, but if Pochettino does come in, Spurs will at least play attractive football, which is something their fans haven’t seen in a long, long time.
