So, its official. Mauricio Pochettino has been appointed the new Tottenham manager after being handed a five-year deal by chairman Daniel Levy. Perhaps more poignantly though, the Argentine becomes Tottenhams 10th manager since 2001. That stat speaks volumes about the nature of Spurs since the turn of the century. Too often managers have been sacked before they have even been given a chance to get their feet under the table. Tim Sherwood, Pochettinos predecessor, lost his job at White Hart Lane despite boasting the best win percentage of any Tottenham manager in Premier League history. The five-year contract given to Spurs new boss demonstrates that a change of plan may about to be initiated by the club. Such a long deal should provide the former Southampton boss with the time needed to implement his style of play. However, as we saw with David Moyes at Manchester United, a long contract means nothing if results are going poorly. What is crucial now is that Tottenham back their new manager and that support begins by trusting him in the transfer market. The North London club failed in their attempts to reinvest the money recouped from Gareth Bale last summer, and it will be hoped that Pochettino can reinvigorate flops like Erik Lamela, while also adding to the current crop of players, Where Pochettino does his shopping remains to be seen. Some reports claim that he is looking at Standard striker Michy Batshuayi, a young Belgian who has caught the interest of several Premier League sides. However, speculation is now growing that Pochettino will look to his old club Southampton for new recruits. Previously it had been thought that stars such as Adam Lallana would be off to Liverpool, but with their former boss now at White Hart Lane, those players may rethink their decisions.
Simon is an NCTJ qualified sports journalist. He has conducted interviews with Tony Adams and Peter Shilton, while also having work published in The Daily Telegraph and The Sun. Follow him on Twitter via @sr_collings.
