Tottenham are working hard behind the scenes to put a solid structure in place to support new manager Ange Postecoglou, and it certainly seems to be working if results on the pitch are anything to go by.

A key complaint among the Spurs fans over the last decade has been around the way the club recruits new players. For too long, too many big-money signings have failed to live up to expectations, and the squad has suffered as a result.

Now, in the wake of Fabio Paratici’s departure earlier this year, a new hierarchy has been developed at the club. Scott Munn is in as chief football officer, while Johan Lange began work as the new technical director at Spurs today.

(Photo by Aston Villa/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images)

Rob Mackenzie will join Spurs next week

It was reported recently that Lange could be reunited with Rob Mackenzie, whom he worked with at Aston Villa (Football Insider).

Clearly, Lange works fast, as Matt Law has today reported that Mackenzie has left his post at Villa and will join Tottenham next week.

Law said: “Rob Mackenzie has left Aston Villa and will join Tottenham as chief scout next week – linking back up with Johan Lange, who has made the same move. Mackenzie has worked at Tottenham before in the past.”

Rob Mackenzie has left Aston Villa and will join Tottenham as chief scout next week – linking back up with Johan Lange, who has made the same move. Mackenzie has worked at Tottenham before in the past #thfc

— Matt Law (@Matt_Law_DT) November 1, 2023

Spurs Web Opinion

It’s very impressive that we have identified someone we want, and within a matter of days have made this happen. The partnership between Mackenzie and Lange should prove to be fruitful for us, and now I just hope they, and Postecoglou, are given the resources to succeed by the club.

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Fast-forward a few years and Chelsea, injected to bursting with Abramovich’s billions looked to be dining at the summit for the rest of time.

More recently, it is hard to see how Manchester City will be chiselled off the top of the league table any time soon (especially with Pep at the helm).

So it is with my own team, Tottenham Hotspur. We talk about the ‘Tottenham way’ and equate it with being free-flowing and attacking football, but I feel this is too simplistic and quite at odds with my lived Tottenham experience.

Indeed, the ‘Tottenham way’ I have grown up with is actually about interspersing attack minded coaches with defence minded managers and it is such for several generations of supporters.

Sadly, I never saw Arthur Rowe’s ‘push and run’ side of the fifties – nor the football played by Rowe’s acolyte Bill Nicholson. Nor did I witness the flair sides of Burkinshaw, Pleat and Venables (despite knowing all about them thanks to Chas and Dave).

Indeed, I have to admit to being in the crowd, mournfully lamenting ‘We want our Tottenham back! We want our Tottenham back! We want our Tottenham back!” under the turgid reign of George Graham.

Conversely, I was there gleefully chorusing “We’ve got our Tottenham back!” during one of the more hopeful periods in Glenn Hoddle’s time as Spurs manager. Being a Tottenham supporter has felt like a neverending cycle of hope and despair.

Once I looked at the list of managers in my lifetime – it actually is a bizarre pattern of defensive to attacking managers – from the sublime to ridiculous if you will. The reckless abandon of Ossie Ardiles, followed by the more pragmatic, and beautifully mulleted, Gerry Francis.

As mentioned prior, George Graham was followed by Hoddle. Then Jol from Santini and Redknapp from Juande Ramos. After Villas-Boas and the ‘one-man Bale team’ came Poch. In true Tottenham fashion, in 2023 Ange has followed in the steps of Messrs Jose, Nuno and Antonio.

So what can we learn from this? Firstly, that possibly there is no inherent ‘Tottenham DNA’ that is a continuous thread running through the history of the club.

In an era when people love to use buzzwords such as ‘vision’ and ‘culture’ the appointments seem erratic and driven by the individual and not looking to maintain a club ‘brand’. Indeed, the leap from certain managers, who appear to be polar opposites seems incongruous.

Not only that, but the money the club must have haemorrhaged signing specific players for managers whose methods quickly become obsolete is frightening.

But I still inherently believe that if Scott Munn is reading this, and I assume he is. One of his most pressing jobs is to establish what the club is and align it with our deeper history and expectations.

In this moment, we have the most clarity about ‘who we are’ that we have had in years – arguably since 2018. Some may be frowning at that date, but my argument is that by 2019, the team was patched up, threadbare and so stale that they weren’t recognisable as the team that twice went close to the title.

This moment in time is emblematic of where the club need to be better. Just because today is sunny, you don’t sit back with a beer and your feet up and ignore the potential potholes down the road.

If Scott Munn is proficient in his job, he will be creating a profile of what a Tottenham manager ‘looks like’ and already be looking at succession planning.

The old adage is correct ‘fail to prepare, prepare to fail’ – this may as well have been the motto inscribed over the boardroom door of Tottenham in the last few decades. They should be looking after the club, not just in the here and now, but in two or three managers’ time – years down the road.

Don’t get me wrong, this is not just a Tottenham issue. A lot of clubs lurch from one manager to another, hoping to stumble upon the magical formula. Look at the continuing hilarity of what is happening at Manchester United.

At the moment, people will point to clubs like Brighton. An approach was instilled by Potter and now De Zerbi is carrying on and developing that project. They are not the only club to do so, Leeds after appointing Bielsa opted for Jesse Marsch and then Javi Gracia – completely ‘on brand’.

The quandary they found themselves in was when they were looking down the barrel of a gun and facing relegation. Instead of sticking to their principles, they abandoned their DNA and sent up the flare to summon ‘Big Sam’.

Despite the best efforts of Weston McKennie’s hopefully launched long throws into the box, Leeds got relegated; parted ways with Allardyce and returned to their ‘brand’ in Daniel Farke. An entirely predictable debacle.

Therefore, my point is this. If Angeball fails, and it may well do – football is a fickle mistress – let us not oscillate to someone who can bolt the gate once the horse is bolted. We have attacking and possession-based football and the players who can implement it. Stick to our guns.

The poster boy club for this way of working is Swansea City. Since 2007, the managers they have appointed have all played in the same way and maintained the ‘culture of the club’, with varying degrees of success. We all remember Bob Bradley.

Some may churn out the riposte ‘but now they’re in the Championship’, but the truth of the matter is that in football there is no such thing as a certainty, despite how much research is done. Swansea massively overachieved and their scouting hit a hot streak that was the envy of many.

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Is Daniel Levy what Tottenham Hotspur need?

So where does our old friend ‘COYS Daniel’ fit into all this?

For many, no matter what he does now, it will not be enough and it will not be good enough. They are entitled to their opinion, but the truth of the matter is that Daniel Levy will be chairman for as long as he wants to be.

Despite the onfield disappointments, he is too good at the ‘other stuff’ to be dispensed of. So what can he do to ingratiate himself or even redeem himself in the eyes of some? To me, there is one word. Legacy.

If Munn and Lange (with Don Fabio still in the background) have been employed on the strength of their CVs, their expertise and their skillset – then allow them to operate in the role they are appointed too.

Almost everyone is united in that we do not want Levy involved with the day-to-day of the club – the minutiae so to speak. If those beneath him want to lean on his experience of seeking his opinion then fair enough, but he cannot be like the ghost at the feast, looming over everyone like a sinister spectre as they go about their work.

He needs to trust his employees and give them a mandate about what the club is and what parameters need to be adhered to the ensure the ‘Tottenham way’ is not a mythological concept but is indeed the foundation upon which this club is built.

There is a possibility that in fifteen years’ time, Daniel Levy will leave the club having learned from his mistakes and I can genuinely say “‘The Tottenham Way’ I know what that is”.

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The Tottenham hierarchy has been going through a lot of changes of late, spearheaded by the appointment of Ange Postecoglou as manager during the summer.

The success the Australian has enjoyed so far, with an unbeaten start to the Premier League campaign taking the club to the top of the table, has stolen most of the headlines right now.

But, behind the scenes, there are plenty of other new faces taking the club in a positive direction. Since the departure of Fabio Paratici earlier this year, Spurs have needed executives to fill the void.

Scott Munn came in as Tottenham’s new chief football officer last month, while Johan Lange is set to take over as the club’s technical director this week after leaving his role at Aston Villa.

(Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images)

Spurs want Rob Mackenzie (again)

Now, according to sources at Football Insider, the Lilywhites are once again looking at Aston Villa to supplement their recruitment roster.

Rob Mackenzie supported Lange at Villa as the Midlands club’s recruitment chief, and is now being headhunted by Tottenham. Mackenzie actually worked for Spurs previously, in an 18-month spell between 2015 and 2016.

But now, Tottenham are keen to bring him back and hope that reuniting Mackenzie with Lange will provide the same kind of success Villa have enjoyed in the transfer market since the former joined the club.

Spurs Web Opinion

Sure, Villa have made a few dodgy signings in the last couple of years, but on the whole, they recruit really well and that’s why they are flying right now. If we can get Mackenzie and Lange back together, then it makes a lot of sense to do so.

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Six months after Fabio Paratici’s resignation from his role as Tottenham’s managing director of football, Spurs finally confirmed last week that they had appointed Lange as their new sporting director.

The Dane has plenty of experience in the game, having previously worked as FC Copenhagen’s technical director for six years before taking the same position at Aston Villa.

It has been explained by The Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick that Lange will not be in charge of running the club’s entire football operations as Paratici was, and will instead manage recruitment, analytics and talent ID across Tottenham’s senior and academy teams.

(Photo by Visionhaus)

Spurs and Chelsea both looked at Michael Edwards

Bailey has now revealed that Spurs as well as Chelsea eyed moves for Edwards, who left his role as Liverpool’s sporting director last year.

The journalist explained that the 44-year-old, who worked as Tottenham’s chief analyst from 2009 to 2011, was not interested in the position.

Bailey said on Talking Transfers Podcast: “Let’s talk Michael Edwards, his name has popped up, is this just a case of he’s on the list of potentials, but not that likely? He did a brilliant job at Liverpool?

“I’m told he’s not actively looking for that sort of role at this moment in time. He is technically available, Chelsea looked at him, and I think Tottenham looked at him as well, but he’s not looking for that sort of role.”

Spurs Web Opinion

The fact that Spurs took as long as they did to confirm a new technical director suggests that they did their due diligence and spoke to a number of candidates. So, it is not surprising that Edwards was also considered for the role, given his track record.

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It was reported by The Athletic on transfer deadline day in the summer that Spurs had made an offer of £20m for Kelly, which was turned down by Bournemouth.

The outlet explained that the Cherries were reluctant to let the defender leave so late in the window since they did not have time to bring in a suitable replacement.

Since then, multiple sources, including Matt Barlow (Daily Mail), have claimed that Tottenham could reignite their interest in the 25-year-old when the transfer window reopens in January.

The centre-back’s current deal at the Vitality Stadium runs out next summer and it was reported by Football Insider last month that the player has refused to sign an extension.

(Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Lange could target Kelly

CaughtOffside have now suggested that bolstering Ange Postecoglou’s options at central defence would be one of the priorities for the club’s new technical director.

The report suggests that Lange could try and sign Kelly on a cut-price fee in January due to the defender’s current contract status.

Spurs Web Opinion 

A deal for Kelly should be straight-forward for Tottenham to pull off in January since Bournemouth would be keen to get a fee for the centre-back. 

However, Spurs might have only turned to the 25-year-old as a backup option in the summer, owing to their top centre-back targets being out of reach. So, the North London club might not prioritise a move for the Cherries star.

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Spurs confirmed on Monday that Lange had been appointed as the club’s new technical director, almost six months after Fabio Paratici resigned from his role as the club’s managing director of football.

The Dane had served previously as the technical director at FC Copenhagen from 2014 to 2020 and was appointed as Villa’s sporting director three years ago.

However, his role at the Midlands club was changed to global sports director after Monchi’s arrival at Villa Park in the summer.

(Photo by Aston Villa/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images)

Mile Jedinak recommended Johan Lange to Spurs

Football Insider have now revealed that Jedinak, who joined as part of Ange Postecoglou’s coaching staff this summer, was the one who recommended Lange’s name to the Spurs head coach.

The former Crystal Palace midfielder had worked closely with the 43-year-old during his time as a coach at as a development coach at Villa.

Spurs Web Opinion

Now that Spurs have completed this key appointment, they can start planning with purpose for the January window, with the squad still in need of reinforcements in some key areas.

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Six months on after Fabio Paratici’s resignation from his role as Tottenham’s managing director of football, the club finally confirmed this week that they had appointed Lange as their new sporting director.

The Dane has plenty of experience in the game, having previously worked as FC Copenhagen’s technical director for six years.

It was explained by The Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick on Tuesday that Lange will not be in charge of running the club’s entire football operations as Paratici was, and will instead manage recruitment, analytics and talent ID across Tottenham’s senior and academy teams.

Preece has now revealed that the 43-year-old is well-suited for that role, adding that he believes in a date-led approach to player identification, which proved successful during his time at Villa Park.

(Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images)

What can Tottenham expect from Johan Lange?

When asked about Lange, the journalist told Football.London: “A vast, extensive knowledge of European football. He had a coffee with reporters not long after joining Villa and it was pretty clear just how obsessed he was with football.

“He’ll bring new methods that will be very much data-led. Lange is all about stats and numbers and, prior to Villa signing Matty Cash in 2020, the Dane sat down with the player and his family in Greece and went through data on his laptop, outlining just how good a fit the ex-Forest man would be.

“Cash, by the way, has gone on to become a star performer. But in short, Spurs have a top operator here who knows his way around sounding out ideal transfer targets to fit in with a manager’s way of playing.”

When asked about some of his success at Villa, Preece said: “His first transfer window was pretty solid. Lange worked alongside then-goalkeeping coach Neil Cutler to sound out Emi Martinez who hasn’t turned out too badly for £20m (cheers, Arsenal).

“Cash and Ollie Watkins were also star signings that summer, two players who continue to go from strength to strength. Emi Buendia (£38m), Leon Bailey (£30m), Boubacar Kamara (free) and Alex Moreno (£12m) would be the other standouts, while Lange was very much behind the surprise deal to bring in Colombian striker Jhon Duran from Chicago Fire in January.

“Lange was actually in the States to scout Duran’s then-teammate Gabriel Slonina (now at Chelsea), but the decision was made to race ahead of the pack to snap up Duran, 19, who’s viewed as a real star of the future. Check his goal out against Palace this season, by the way!”.

When quizzed about whether Lange is good at identifying young players for the future, the reporter responded: “Yeah, very much so. Lange worked alongside academy manager Mark Harrison and identified top talents from Holland which included Lamare Bogarde and Sil Swinkels.

“Lange is all about the future value of players which is something he did really well at his previous gig at Copenhagen. Villa’s 19-year-old Colombian striker Duran could turn out to be Lange’s best-ever signing. We’ll wait and see.”

Spurs Web Opinion

By the sounds of it, Lange is an appointment that very much fits with Tottenham’s new data-led recruitment strategy, which the club evidently had plenty of success with during this summer’s transfer window.

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In what has been a period of great upheaval at the club, Tottenham have welcomed an abundance of new faces through the door, both on and off the pitch.

New signings like Guglielmo Vicario, Micky van de Ven, and James Maddison have proven to be welcome additions to the playing staff at Spurs and have helped the side remain unbeaten in the first eight games of this campaign.

And, of course, new manager Ange Postecoglou has been a driving force behind this positive start, bringing exciting football back to the club and putting smiles on the faces of the Spurs fans.

But, behind the scenes, it’s all change, too. Scott Munn has now started work as the club’s chief football officer, and Johan Lange is in as the new technical director.

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Spurs have another appointment to make

While Lange is billed as the successor to Fabio Paratici, it seems he will end up getting some help in the form of a chief scout.

That’s according to a report from the Evening Standard, which claims Lange will “not be in charge of running the club’s entire football operations,” as his predecessor was. Instead, he will report to Munn, and have duties related only to “recruitment, analytics and talent ID.”

The recent departure of Leonardo Gabbanini leaves a gap in that department, and Spurs are expected to “appoint a new chief scout” to work under him.

When that happens, and who it will be, remains to be seen.

Spurs Web Opinion

I really like the look of this team we are putting together to make sure the whole operation runs smoothly from top to bottom. It seems the power and responsibility are being shared across various heads rather than one man having all the control, which feels like a smart move.

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The club say that Lange will be in charge of ‘recruitment, analytics and talent identification across our senior and academy teams.’

This comes after Fabio Paratici stepped down from his position as Tottenham’s managing director of football earlier this week when FIFA suspended him for alleged involvement in Juventus‘ capital gains scandal.

Paratici was continuing to work for Spurs as a consultant but reports indicated recently that some within the club were uncomfortable with the arrangement (Athletic).

Although it is unclear whether the Italian will now cease all involvement with Spurs following the arrival of Johan Lange, the Lilywhites at least now have a permanent appointment.

(Photo by Aston Villa/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images)

Tottenham Hotspur announce Johan Lange

Most recently, Lange was the Global Director of Football Development and International Academies at Aston Villa, following a period as the club’s Sporting Director.

Tottenham say: ‘Lange oversaw several high profile player transfers, a period that saw Aston Villa move to the top half of the table.’

Scott Munn, Tottenham’s Chief Football Officer, also added, “Johan has demonstrated an excellent track record of scouting and signing many talented and successful youth and senior players. He is a welcome addition as we strengthen our football operations.”

It was first reported by The Athletic last week that Tottenham were in talks with Lange about their vacant director role.

Spurs Web Opinion:

Aston Villa have made some great signings over the past few years so it’s nice to see Tottenham get someone in with Premier League experience. Spurs really seem to be building something for the long-term future in North London at the moment.

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Lange made his name at FC Copenhagen, first working as a director of development at the club before being promoted to the technical director role, which he held from 2014 to 2020 (Transfermarkt).

The Dane took over as Aston Villa’s sporting director three years ago but then became the global director of football development at the club this summer as part of an internal restructuring process at the Midlands side after the arrival of Monchi.

(Photo by Aston Villa/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images)

Tottenham are eyeing up Aston Villa director

The Athletic report that Spurs have now held initial talks with Lange over their vacancy and add that the 43-year-old’s departure has been discussed internally at Villa, although nothing has been decided yet.

Meanwhile, reports in the Italian press over recent weeks have suggested that AS Roma are concerned that Tottenham could make an approach for their general manager Tiago Pinto (ASRomaLive.it).

Spurs Web Opinion

Scott Munn and Daniel Levy will likely speak to several candidates before narrowing down their shortlist and deciding on the best man for the job. So, we should not read too much into the fact that the club have spoken to Lange about the role.

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