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.

(Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)

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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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.

GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images

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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There appears to be a very clear change of direction occurring for Tottenham right now. With new manager Ange Postecoglou impressing in his early days, things are going pretty well for the North London club, too.

Postecoglou can’t do it all on his own, however, and will now have help from above in the form of his new Chief Football Officer, Scott Mun.

The long-awaited arrival of the Australian will help fill the void left by former Director of Football Fabio Paratici. The Italian had to leave his post in April after being found guilty of involvement in Juventus’ financial scandal.

It seems Daniel Levy still wants to tweak and add to the hierarchy at Spurs, and we could see an appointment of an official Director of Football in the near future.

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Tottenham’s new DoF won’t be a big name

In a Q+A held by The Athletic‘s David Ornstein, the topic of Spurs’ plans came up and the journalist was able to shed some light on the situation.

He said: “I’m told Spurs have a plan in place. I don’t have a name but the last I heard the appointment is expected to be relatively low-key – a bit like Postecoglou – rather than a huge name. 

“The club will hope the new man fits in fairly seamlessly to the new structure being implemented by Daniel Levy and Scott Munn.”

Spurs Web Opinion

The club is currently acting really sensibly and it is reassuring to hear that everything is seemingly being done with the idea of complementing Ange Postecoglou and his approach to finding success for Spurs. 

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Scott Munn officially started his job as Tottenham’s new chief football officer this week (Charlie Eccleshare), while Spurs also sacked chief scout Leonardo Gabbanini (Matt Law).

(Photo by Fred Lee/Getty Images for Premier League)

It has also been said that Munn’s first job in North London will be to find a new managing director of football, while Fabio Paratici’s consultancy role at the club will likely come to an end.

All of that comes on the back of Ange Postecoglou joining as Tottenham’s new head coach this summer, as well as a transfer window full of player comings and goings.

It well and truly feels like a new era at Tottenham Hotspur, and Postecoglou was asked in his press conference today how it felt to be in the middle of so much change around the club.

Postecoglou welcomes change at Tottenham

Postecoglou said (Football London): Normal for me. Wherever I have gone and I think that is the club understanding, I’ve constantly said that if you want to change, you need to change.

“All these things happen, sometimes not sequential or all at the same time, but over the course of time you find we are heading off in a new direction and some people make their own decisions about whether they’re involved in that and other times we look for, or the club look to bring new people in.

“That’s the kind of position we’re in as a club. As I said, it wasn’t going to take one window for us to build the squad we wanted and it wasn’t going to take a couple of months to have the structure we wanted.

“It will evolve over the next 12 months, couple of years I think you’ll find, and we will have a constant evolution of people and the way we play, the way we train and the environment itself.

“All these kinds of things are a natural consequence of the club deciding to change direction from last year.”

Spurs Web Opinion:

Tottenham have needed this kind of overhaul, from top to bottom, for at least three years now. While it is frustrating to only just be at the start of the process now, it is also exciting to see what kind of journey Spurs can go on over the next three to five seasons.

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When Tottenham had Antonio Conte at the helm, there was, rather naturally, an array of Italian talent behind the scenes at the club.

Conte brought assistant manager Cristian Stellini with him to to club, and later, Leonardo Gabbanini was hired to assist the manager with transfer activity. Set piece specialist, Gianni Vio, is another example of a compatriot joining the club during Conte’s reign.

All of this was brought together, of course, by the club’s former managing director of football, Fabio Paratici.

However, when Conte left the club rather unceremoniously in March of this year, the cracks began to show. Paratici then stepped down from his role in April, following his involvement in Juventus’ capital gains trial, and Stellini was sacked just four games into his caretaker tenure.

Gabbanini remained at the club throughout this summer, to assist new manager Ange Postecoglou in building his new squad, and did a fine job, too.

Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images

Fabio Paratici set to part ways with Tottenham

In a report from The Telegraph today, it was revealed that Gabbanini has been relieved of his duties by Spurs, with the club looking to restructure following the appointment of chief football officer, Scott Munn.

The report also claims that Paratici, who had been serving as a consultant to Tottenham throughout the summer (Football.London), may actually be done with that role, too. Apparently, that “arrangement is also likely to now end” in the fallout of Gabbanini’s departure.

Spurs Web Opinion

We have a lot to be thankful for with regard to Paratici, namely the signings of Cristian Romero, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Dejan Kulusevski. But with new faces throughout the club, it makes perfect sense to close the door on every part of the past and move forward.

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Spurs confirmed Munn’s appointment back in April and he was initially set to begin work at the start of July, with the club announcing at the time that he would be Daniel Levy’s number two in the newly created role and take charge of all the footballing operations in N17.

However, owing to delays with his former employer, City Group, his official start date at Tottenham had to be pushed back (Matt Law).

Football.London’s Alasdair Gold revealed a couple of weeks ago that the issue with City Group had been resolved and the Australian was expected to soon begin work at the club.

(Photo by Fred Lee/Getty Images for Premier League)

Scott Munn is finally starting work at Tottenham

Eccleshare has now confirmed that Munn has officially started in his role today, with the newcomer expected to take charge of all footballing departments, including the academy and the women’s team.

The journalist added that one of the 51-year-old’s first big tasks would be to appoint a new director of football to replace Fabio Paratici.

Spurs Web Opinion

I do not think Munn’s official start date is likely to have any impact on fast-forwarding Tottenham’s search for a new director of football. The club would have already been working in the background on filling the role since the closure of the summer transfer window.

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Spurs confirmed Munn’s appointment back in April and he was initially set to begin work at the start of July, with the club announcing at the time that he will work as Daniel Levy’s number two in the newly created role and take charge of all the footballing operations at N17.

(Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)

Scott Munn can finally start at Tottenham Hotspur

However, owing to delays with his former employer’s, City Group, he is yet to officially commence work at Tottenham (Matt Law).

Gold has now explained that the issue has been resolved and that Munn is finally set to officially begin work at Hotspur Way after the international break.

The journalist reveals that the Australian has been in attendance at most of Tottenham’s matches right from the start of pre-season while awaiting his official start date.

He adds that one of the first orders of business for Munn will be to appoint a director of football to assist Ange Postecoglou in recruitment.

Spurs Web Opinion

Now that Munn is set to begin work, one would expect Tottenham to officially confirm a sporting director (or some sort of head of recruitment) sooner rather than later, which would give the incoming person sufficient time to plan for the January transfer window.

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The unknown is a scary place and that is why people try to alleviate their fears by setting goals, sometimes realistic and sometimes ludicrously overly positive. But why do people do it? Quite simply, it gives us a theoretical roadmap to a destination that we would like to arrive.

To say that Tottenham at the end of the previous season was in a state of flux would be a gross understatement. Words like shambles, mess and somewhat less linguistically acceptable – ‘s**t show’ were commonplace – and rightly so.

At the time of writing, there has been change aplenty at The Lane. A new manager through the door in Ange Postecoglou has brought back a feeling of warmth to the club.

(Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images)

His demeanour, modesty and avuncular nature has begun to create a bridge back to the fans, who have felt alienated by ego-centric managers, tone-deaf decisions by the board, and of course physical divide previously caused by COVID. No disrespect to the man, but I am not sure any Spurs fan is thinking ‘What if?’ about Arnie Slot right now.

However, it cannot be overstated that these are merely the green shoots of recovery. There is a long way to go even to reach a state of equilibrium around the club. The squad is bloated and imbalanced; there is mass dissatisfaction towards those running the club, and results and performances need to be consistently better on the pitch.

Therefore, I have outlined five ways which, if met, Tottenham could argue it has been a good season.

1) Clarity and Transparency at the Top

This article is not going to address whether Daniel Levy should be at the club; that subject matter is worthy of a book at least. However, by May 2024, certain roles need to be clarified at the club because currently several individuals who could/ should be performing those roles are acting like poorly skilled undercover agents.

Firstly, our Chief Football Operator (CFO), the elusive Scott Munn, must officially start at the club and it needs to be made very clear what his responsibilities are.

The division of power between him and Daniel Levy must be crystal clear and, more importantly, adhered to. If Munn is to be effective, he needs to be given autonomy and allowed to run the football side of business – basically let him work to his job title.

Secondly, the Director of Football needs to be installed or at least a plan made clear. I have written before that my instinct is that, once his ban is over, Fabio Paratici will resume his position at the club. Initially, we held off letting him go for so long because it was clear those in positions of power were hopeful he would not have to go.

Currently, he is working in a ‘consultancy role’ for the club and was at the Brentford game this weekend (Football.London).

Let us be blunt about this – Tottenham are exploiting a loophole and he has been involved in the signings of Veliz and Vicario (Football.London), but they should acknowledge this and release a statement saying that ‘once his ban is over he will be reinstated’ – if this is indeed the case.

If Ange Postecoglu has no issue with working with ‘Don Fabio’, then I am sure the fan base won’t either. Indeed, if the triumvirate of Munn, Paratici and Postecoglu work together effectively and are left to run the football side – I think it solves a lot of problems at the club.

2. Ship out the Deadwood

I am not going to name names of players I think should be shipped. It does not need to be said. Ange himself has admitted the squad is too large (OneFootball).

This has been a problem at the club for too many years. Players with little to offer the club have either been kept on – due to some sense of loyalty; a hope that they would ‘turn it around’ or just a delusional belief in how much certain players are worth.

Tottenham fans have looked incredulously at Chelsea this summer, who have managed to flog a squad worth of players and made roughly £220m in the process (Transfermarkt). For those wildly gesticulating and asking how they escape FFP penalties – this helps explain it somewhat!

Too often Tottenham have allowed players to leave on loan when they obviously have no future – usually without obligation to buy clauses! The thinking is clear – they will show their worth on loan and then we can get a better fee. In principle this is sound, but has it ever worked?

Instead, and I have written previously about this before, Ange had to take a preseason tour with close to ten players that have zero chance of game minutes for Tottenham this season. There needs to be a line drawn in the sand now. If they do not have a future at the club – sell. Even if it means taking at hit.

Let’s be fair, we can take that hit based on how much we have received from the sale of an academy player last week. By next preseason, the squad should contain only players that have a future at the club, either immediately or in the long term.

3. The ‘Brand’ of Football

However opposition fans may scoff, there is a way of playing football at Tottenham Hotspur. It is about attacking and playing in a swashbuckling, sometimes cavalier manner that electrifies the fans.

Even the clubs lauded motto: To Dare is to Do, is all about taking risks to (potentially) achieve glory. Even though it went horribly wrong, Ossie Ardiles ‘got it’ when he played the Famous Five of Klinsmann, Sheringham, Barmby, Dumitrescu and Anderton. Admittedly, that all went horribly wrong – but Ossie dared to dream (his second dream, after getting to a final at Wembley).

More successfully, I saw attacking football under the likes of Jol, Redknapp and the current Chelsea manager. Players such as Berbatov, Bale, Modric and Dele flourished and exhilarated. After the depths of Mourinho’s bus parking; Conte’s ‘cling on until the second half’ and of course the instantly forgettable ‘Nunoball’ – I am ready to be wowed once more.

The signs are good and as Ange himself says, he will not be swayed from his principles. Let’s hope that when we have a rocky patch, as we inevitably will, the players continue to dare.

4. Give it a Shot in the Cups

For me, the ultimate nadir of last season (and there were multiple options) was the abject FA Cup defeat to Sheffield United (BBC Sport).

As a supporter of this famous football club, I have witnessed two trophy wins – The Allan Nielsen final of 1998/99 and the Jonathan Woodgate final of 2007/08. Unlike many, I am not one of those supporters that cherishes trophies above all else.

If I remember rightly, the Worthington Cup win of 1998/99 came in the typically mediocre season expected of 90s Tottenham teams (Wikipedia).

But let’s give it a go. That is all I ask. We have a good squad and should be aiming for quarter or semi-finals at least. Without Europe this year, we should attack on all fronts – in every sense. If we go out in a blaze of glory 5-3 away at Machester City – so be it.

Whimpering out against lower-level opposition, whilst fielding a second-string line-up, with barely an effort on goal is not acceptable.

5. Improve the Attack

It would be churlish of me to use the phrase ‘replace Kane’. It is just not possible, and by using that phrase it heaps instant, unnecessary pressure on any individual joining the club.

Yet the fact remains, 30 league goals have just walked out the door and they need to be scored. We need an instinctive finisher in the club because we are sorely lacking one. If it means waiting till January to make the right signing, then so be it, but we need to look at this season as being transitional (to a point).

By the beginning of next season, the personnel must be through the door and ready to fire all guns blazing at the onset of the 2024/25 season.

To conclude Tottenham’s success checklist

So, are these targets viable? I would argue they are within the realms of possibility and not impossible to attain. Fundamental changes and improvements need to happen for the club to address the fragmentation that has happened in recent years.

Tottenham are a massive club financially, but also in emotional terms. They are central to the lives of thousands and for that reason, it is essential that there is harmony, happiness and stability at the club.

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Munn was originally supposed to begin work as Tottenham’s chief football officer on July 1 but it subsequently emerged that his start date at the North London club had been delayed due to issues on the end of his former employers, The City Group (Football-London).

(Photo By Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

With the new campaign just two weeks away, there has been no announcement from the club on when Munn officially begins work in his new role.

With Spurs also yet to appoint a new director of football, this has led to some concerns among the fans, particularly as the club have so far failed to address some priority areas this transfer window. 

Scott Munn has been travelling around with Spurs

Gold has now revealed that Munn was with Daniel Levy and co in Perth, Bangkok and Singapore, and the journalist seemed to suggest sarcastically that the Australian is not doing any official work behind the scenes.

The journalist told YouTube channel: “There were a few unexpected people. Scott Munn was definitely out there. He went to all three countries, I am pretty sure.

“I certainly spotted him in Perth. Others spotted him in Thailand and Singapore, I think. He still isn’t officially working for the club. Still no start date, yet because of the issues from the City Group end and letting him go.

“I think he has family in maybe Melbourne and I also think he still has a family in China, so presumably, you could argue that he was moving around between both. I am sure he isn’t doing official work behind the scenes, at all (eyebrows raised).”

Spurs Web Opinion 

What Gold says about Munn is quite obvious, which is why it really does not matter when his official start date at Tottenham is. He is quite clearly involved in the decisions that are being made behind the scenes.

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The saying goes that no one is bigger than the club – but in to be brutally honest, over the last few years, Harry has got mighty close to being so.

However, as Graham Roberts said, “The crest on the front of the shirt will always be bigger than any name on the back” – and I for one adhere to this statement.

Thus, Kane will be replaced both as a player and as an icon. However, I would argue that Tottenham should not seek to replace Harry this summer and not enter the transfer market to buy another striker.

This may not be a popular sentiment, but, hear me out…

(Photo by Amphol Thongmueangluang/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Have we done our Due Diligence?

Going into the summer transfer window, not many at the club expected to be in this position. Everyone could see Manchester United sauntering in, attempting to dine off past glories and making grand overtures – stumping up plenty of quotes from former players but not much in terms of money.

Not many saw the possibility of a) Bayern Munich being so persistent in their chase and b) Harry Kane seemingly so open to the lure of the glitz and glamour of the Bundesliga.

Therefore, replacing him this summer did not seem to be forefront of the very long ‘to-do’ list. From a fan’s perspective, the transfer process at Tottenham seems haphazard at best and getting a deal like this done adequately appears to be a long shot.

Occasionally the club gets deals done quickly, like with James Maddison, but then again a stopped clock is still right twice a day.

It would make more sense for the infrastructure at the top of the club to be in place (see later on) and, hopefully, cohesively running, as we look for a new frontman.

Similarly, Ange’s tactics will evolve at Tottenham, just like they have at his other clubs. It might take him several months to work out what type of striker compliments the players in the team currently.

Which attributes will best serve the team? Diving headlong into signing Kolo Muani or the like off the back of a good season and impressive international tournament – Roman Pavluychenko anyone?

Although exciting, it would appear rushed and based on very little due diligence.

I understand completely that this view will not go down well with some fans, but I have seen this before with Tottenham and strikers, especially those who have never played Premier League football. I give you these names (in no particular order): Iversen, Rebrov, Postiga, Soldado and Jansen.

Admittedly, there is an element of risk with all transfers, but I would rather the club made a mistake after doing their homework thoroughly and with the right people in place.

No Director of Football and a CFO gone MIA

As I alluded to before, if we were to embark on a search for a striker right now, who would be orchestrating it?

The Scott Munn situation is bizarre, to say the least (FootballLondon) and as much as we expect he is working behind the scenes, it is not the same as being front and centre spearheading proceedings.

That said, it would not necessarily be Munn’s job to organise this search, that would be the role of the director of football. However, at the time of writing, not only is there not a Director of Football at the club, but progress on appointing one seems to have stalled, with the latest news being that Tiago Pinto had ruled himself out of the running (iNews).

This may be, in some part, down to the fact that Fabio Paratici is still working with the club in an ‘advisory role’ (FootballLondon). This is purely speculation on my part, but I wonder if, with the reduced terms of Paratici’s ban, Levy is going to use him in the ‘advisor role’ until he can slip back into his old position when his 30-month ban is complete.

No matter who takes these roles and when, I would rather they were in charge of ‘Operation Replace Kane’ in an official capacity so that ‘COYS Daniel’ has as little to do with the proceedings as possible.

We Have Enough Cover – Just

Ironically, despite being our best player, by some distance and more, Ange Postecoglou would have to amend the way his formation works to accommodate Harry in the line-up.

In his previous sides, the forward three press like demons in an attempt to win the ball back high up the pitch. Kane, for all his attributes, is not this player.

Arguably, Richarlison, with his work ethic and relentless running could complement the system. Although I do not think he has the calibre to be the long-term replacement, in the interim he could ‘do a job’ so to speak.

Most of us have been pleasantly surprised at how Manor Solomon has started life in a Spurs shirt and this could free up Son Heung-Min to play down the middle as an auxiliary forward – if needed.

The Goals Will Come From Other Areas

As impressive as Harry Kane’s numbers were last season – and they were staggering given the team he was playing in, it was concerning how much Tottenham relied on him for goals last season.

However, the hope would be based on history and what we have seen in preseason so far, is that goals will come from a plethora of sources this season, not just the central striker.

Even from the friendlies against West Ham and Lion City, we have seen attempts at goal from the likes of Bissouma, Sarr, Lo Celso and Maddison, along with our wingers and front man.

This is common with Postecoglou teams, indeed in his first year as Celtic manager, not one player scored over thirteen goals in the league but seven players scored over six goals (BBC).

Even last year, with Kyogo netting 35 times in all competitions, four other players also reaches double figures across the whole season (BBC).

Other Priorities – Centre Backs Anyone?

This point has been laboured into the ground by virtually everyone associated with Tottenham Hotspur. But having a Kane replacement is far less important than bringing in two quality centre-backs to sure up the defence.

For whoever is working on the transfers, please stop focusing attention on the likes of Kessie Sport (30/07/23 via Sport Witness) and just focus on the priority.

Without a doubt, if he goes, Kane will be a great loss. But the key word throughout pre-season has been ‘patience’ and giving time for Ange to build his team.

The club should extend this to signing Kane’s replacement and hopefully avoid having an expensive panic buy on our books, who we will be unable to get rid of for years to come.

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Tottenham confirmed back in April that Munn had been appointed as the new chief football officer, a role which means he will head all footballing operations at the club.

Munn worked for nine years with A-League side Melbourne City FC as their chief executive officer before taking over the same role at City Football Group in China back in 2019. However, the role of Spurs will be the Australian’s first post in European football.

(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Scott Munn’s official start date at Spurs is delayed

The 55-year-old would certainly have his work cut out, with the club seemingly teetering aimlessly over the past few seasons, and he will be hoping to work together with his compatriot Ange Postecoglou to get things back on track.

However, Gold has now revealed that while Munn was initially set to start on July 1, his start date has been pushed back due to delays caused by the City Group.

Scott Munn's start date at Tottenham has been delayed after a prolonged City Group exit.

— Alasdair Gold (@AlasdairGold) July 7, 2023

The Telegraph’s Matt Law also confirmed the same news, revealing that the delay is entirely at City’s end.

Scott Munn’s official start as chief football officer at Tottenham has been delayed – caused at the Manchester City end. Had been meant to start on July 1 – no new start date as yet #thfc

— Matt Law (@Matt_Law_DT) July 7, 2023

Spurs Web Opinion

I do not think this would have much of an impact on Tottenham’s plans as Munn would have already begun working behind the scenes with Levy and the Spurs board. His official start date is merely academic and is not likely to have any consequential effect.

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Postecoglou will lead Celtic in their Hampden Park showpiece against Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Saturday evening where they are looking to secure a domestic treble for the eighth time in their history.

The Australian is said to have impressed chairman Daniel Levy, who is leading Tottenham’s search for Antonio Conte‘s replacement with the north Londoners having been without a permanent head coach since the departure of the Italian in late March.

Levy initially handed the responsibility for the rest of the campaign to Cristian Stellini, who found himself following Conte out of the door after the 6-1 thrashing at Newcastle United.   Ryan Mason saw out the remainder of the campaign in charge and wants the job on a permanent basis.

Scott Munn, who officially takes up his role as Tottenham’s chief football officer in July is also an admirer of his compatriot, Postecoglou.

Tottenham had been heavily linked with a move for Feyenoord’s Arne Slot, only for the Eredivisie leaders to persuade Slot to give the club at least one more season, since they have qualified for the Champions League (Sky Sports).

(Photo by Alvaro Medranda/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)

SpursWeb Opinion

Postecoglou will feel like somewhat of an uninspiring appointment given the club are reportedly said to have been looking for a younger coach in the Mauricio Pochettino mould and have also passed up the opportunity to interview Julian Nagelsmann.

From the outside looking in, it appears that Spurs’ list of candidates is very slim pickings and they will now rely on a manger who is yet to take charge of a club in an elite league.

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With Spurs set to select a new manager relatively soon, the need is now.

Marc Atkins/Mark Leech/Getty Images

After Fabio Paratici was banned by FIFA worldwide for two-and-a-half years, the club have appeared frantic and disorganised.

The initial hiring of the Italian director of football was a positive one, and successfully reformed the on-pitch identity of Spurs with signings such as Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur.

The view is that Spurs have reverted back to square one since the recent sacking of Antonio Conte and Paratici’s ban, which has seen Daniel Levy repeat exactly what he did two years prior, which was hire Ryan Mason as interim to see a dreadful season out, such as when Jose Mourinho was a casualty to the Levy dismissal.

Directors generally aim to be the figureheads of a project, and a forward vision for the football club. Their influence, sporting-wise, is monumental.

They will generally be involved in manager searches, scouting and transfer strategy intently. It is imperative that an elite club identifies a good Director of Football in order to succeed.

Tottenham Hotspur are at a crucial point where effective decision-making is crucial to the future of the club.

With no Director of Football or Manager, the board has crucial decisions to make in the coming weeks, and the former must be hired immediately to lay out a project which can be pursued for the future.

Daniel Levy will surely have the final say on the new Director of Football, but the chairman’s gradual distancing from the footballing operations has to be seen as a positive one.

Scott Munn, the club’s new chief football officer who was announced to be joining Spurs last month could be assisting Levy in seeking out the new Director of Football.

Munn, who was the chief executive of City Football Group China before taking the new role at Spurs will be important in future strategy at Spurs, as he and Daniel Levy will attempt to build a strong, elite structure such as at Premier League champions Manchester City.

His work officially begins on July 1, but it would be unsurprising if he has influence in the upcoming decisions.

A new Director of Football is needed immediately so Spurs can speed up and narrow down the managerial search, which simply appears to be dragging beyond the end of the current season.

Implications will become obvious down the line this summer if there are delays, and the strategy may appear disjointed, because if we are being honest, Levy having a say-so over transfers has not generally been successful.

The recent standout names are Tiago Pinto (inews), the current sporting director at AS Roma, who works closely with Jose Mourinho and has praise and admirers across the world of football, so would certainly be an option.

Also linked was Tim Steidten, who has worked at Werder Bremen and most recently Bayer Leverkusen, where he left in March (Standard). The recent links are a positive to all Spurs fans, but it is important that the trigger is pulled as soon as possible.

The importance of Levy’s next decision cannot be understated. This is a key stage in his tenure, and the Tottenham chairman will be strongly judged based on this summer after an extremely disappointing season, which has been infected with poor decision-making.

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Levy has a lot on his plate at the moment with the Spurs chairman not only on the lookout for a permanent head coach but also needing to appoint a director of football following Fabio Paratici’s resignation last month.

Marc Atkins/Mark Leech/Getty Images

The Evening Standard reported a couple of weeks ago that while Tottenham would ideally want to appoint Paratici’s replacement first and take the new director’s input on the managerial search, they are not prepared to put off their search for a head coach any longer.

In fact, it emerged last week that Levy has already met with Julian Nagelsmann in London to discuss the managerial vacancy (CaughtOffside).

Levy can turn to the expertise of Munn in helping make those appointments, with the Australian now expected to take charge of the footballing department at Spurs.

The pair are seemingly already at work regarding the aforementioned appointments as they were pictured together at London City Airport on Monday.

Daniel Levy pictured with #THFC’s new Chief Football Officer, Scott Munn at London City airport yesterday @daverambo66 pic.twitter.com/nz46tGD0eh

— The Spurs Web (@thespursweb) May 2, 2023

Spurs Web Opinion

Although Munn does not officially start in his new role until the summer, it comes as no surprise that Tottenham’s new chief footballing officer is already at work to help the club make the necessary appointments.

Perhaps it is he, rather than Levy, who is spearheading the search for a new director, who would in turn make the final decision on which head coach to appoint.

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Tottenham confirmed last week that Munn has been appointed as the new chief football officer, a role which means he will head all footballing operations at the club.

GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images

Munn worked for nine years with A-League side Melbourne City FC as their chief executive officer before taking over the same role at City Football Group in China back in 2019.

However, the role of Spurs will be the Australian’s first post in European football.

The Athletic reveal that ‘eyebrows were raised’ in some ‘high-level football circles’ last Friday when Spurs confirmed the appointment, given the scale of the job facing him in his first adventure in Europe.

However, the publication adds that when they spoke to those who have worked with Munn, they were ‘very complimentary’ of the new Tottenham chief footballing officer and believed he can make the necessary step up.

Spurs Web Opinion

Munn’s role is bigger than just the director of football and one can argue that broad roles like that can translate across different footballing cultures better than a role of a head coach or managing director can.

The Australian is experienced in building football clubs from the ground up. I do not think not having worked at a European club would be too much of a problem.

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Tottenham confirmed the appointment of Munn as their chief football officer last week and he is expected to officially start work at the club on July 1 since he is currently on gardening leave.

(Photo by Vincent Mignott/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

The Athletic have confirmed that his arrival means Fabio Paratici will be reporting to the newcomer should the Italian’s ban be overturned and he is allowed to resume his role as the club’s managing director of football.

The report states that Munn will be taking charge of all footballing departments and will effectively be Levy’s “eyes and years”.

It is explained that the appointment has been in the works for months and is not a reaction to Paratici’s ban.

The decision is said to be an acknowledgement by the club that Paratici’s expertise lies in recruitment and that someone else was needed to take charge of departments like the women’s team and the academy.

The outlet also states that developing young players was a key area of focus for Munn during his time at Melbourne City.

The Athletic assert that the Australian will have a voice in the discussions regarding the appointment of a new head coach and, if it comes to it, a new managing director of football.

Spurs Web Opinion

This appointment with the arrival of Paratici is clear evidence that Levy is taking a backseat when it comes to footballing decisions, which is what fans wanted.

However, if it is an attempt to shield himself from criticism, it is not going to work.

We have seen since Paratici’s arrival that Spurs fans who do not like Levy (which now seems like the majority) have blamed the chairman for all the wrong recruitment decisions that have been made but have praised the Italian for all the right ones.

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Postecoglou has done an outstanding job since taking over at Celtic Park in 2021, with the club looking on course to win back-to-back Scottish Premiership titles.

Stu Forster / Allsport

The Times were the first to report at the start of March that Postecoglou is one of the names on Tottenham’s radar to take over from Antonio Conte.

This was subsequently backed up by journalist Gary Jacob who told beIN SPORTS that Spurs are looking to appoint someone who is prepared to build a long-term project at the club, with the Celtic boss alleged to fit the bill.

Last week, Spurs confirmed the appointment of Scott Munn as their new chief football officer, with the newcomer set to take over all football operations at the club as Daniel Levy’s number two.

Gold believes that Munn’s arrival could boost Postecoglu’s candidacy for the Tottenham job, given the Australian connection.

The journalist said in a Q&A on Football.London: “The arrival of Scott Munn might increase the noise around Celtic boss Ange Postecoglu, who grew up and coached in Australia.

“There are plenty of good options out there for Tottenham and they need to pick the right one.”

Spurs Web Opinion

Munn will, no doubt, have a big say in Tottenham’s managerial appointment and he would know Postecoglu well from his time in charge of an A-League club. 

However, Postecoglu would have to prove himself at a smaller Premier League side or in a bigger league before he becomes a serious candidate for an elite job.

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Spurs confirmed last week that Munn will join in the newly-created role of chief football officer and is set to take over all football operations at the club, leaving Daniel Levy to deal with the business side of things.

Marc Atkins/Mark Leech/Getty Images

That means that should Fabio Paratici’s appeal against his ban turn out to be successful and he resumes his role as managing director of football, the Italian will be working under the newcomer.

Munn has been the CEO of City Football Group in China for the past four years, having previously worked for Melbourne City since 2009 and he faces a big challenge in what is his first adventure in European football.

However, The Evening Standard have now explained that the Australian will only start work at Hotspur Way on July 1 as he is on gardening leave until then.

Spurs Web Opinion

Although Munn might officially only start on July 1, there is no doubt that he would have already started work behind the scenes on some of the big decisions that Spurs have to make shortly, including hiring a new head coach and potentially a new director of football.

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The appointment of Munn was confirmed by Spurs last week, with the newcomer set to take over all football operations at the club, leaving Daniel Levy to deal with the business side of things.

Jacques Feeney/Getty Images

The news came a little over a week after Tottenham announced that their managing director of football, Fabio Paratici, would take a leave of absence until the appeal to his worldwide ban is heard on April 19.

Football.London have now revealed that Munn has extensive experience within various sports, having worked with the Sydney Organising Committee for the 2000 Olympic Games, the National Rugby League and the Australia Football League. 

It is revealed that he worked for nine years with A-League side Melbourne City FC as their Chief Executive Officer before being appointed the Chief Executive Officer of City Football Group in China back in 2019.

The role at Spurs will be the Australian’s first post in European football and Tottenham fans can take some optimism from the rave reviews that some of his previous work has received.

According to Football.London, the City Group’s statement in 2019 when Munn was promoted to head up their China reads: “Scott has served for 10 years as CEO of Melbourne City FC, providing skilful leadership and having overseen significant change, most notably following the acquisition of then Melbourne Heart by CFG in 2014.

“He has driven substantial growth across the sporting and commercial arms of the organisation, with ever-improving results on the field, including the men’s first-ever silverware in 2016 and back-to-back championships for the women’s team.

“Furthermore, he has been a steadfast champion of the club’s fan and community engagement, and oversaw the construction of the City Football Academy facility, and the foundation of the women’s team, during his tenure.”

The publication also relayed that The Sydney Morning Herald wrote about Munn: “Few Aussie executives have scaled such heights in the European club game as Munn, who began his sports management career with the organising committee for the Sydney 2000 Olympics and then joined the NRL in a commercial role.

“Munn later moved to the AFL and spearheaded the league’s expansion efforts into the Gold Coast, serving as “GC17” project general manager but departing prior to the Suns’ first game in 2011 to move into soccer.

“Munn was at the helm of Melbourne City for their maiden Australia Cup triumph in 2016 and a hat-trick of women’s grand final wins between 2016-18 before moving to China, where CFG is a minority owner of Sichuan Jiuniu in the tier below the Chinese Super League.”

Spurs Web Opinion

The timing of Munn’s appointment makes it difficult to believe that it is not linked to Fabio Paratici’s future.

The Australian’s role seems like it will eat into some of the Italian’s powers and the club might be hoping that Paratici himself resigns as a result so that they can avoid a potential lawsuit that might result from firing the 50-year-old.

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Munn will reportedly take over all football operations at the club, leaving Daniel Levy to deal with the business side of things.

Marc Atkins/Mark Leech/Getty Images

Munn had previously worked as the Chief Executive Officer of City Football Group China for the past four years and this is his first similar role in Europe.

The Australian will work under Levy as his second-in-command, and Fabio Paratici would report to Munn if he returns from his worldwide ban.

Tottenham announced recently that Paratici has stepped down from his role as managing director of football, at least until he receives the result of his appeal following the FIFA ban.

However, it appears there will be a new club structure for the Italian to come back to if he is allowed to return to Hotspur Way in any capacity.

On the appointment of Scott Munn, Levy said (Football London): “Scott has a unique and broad experience of running sporting organisations at the highest level and will take responsibility for the leadership and management of our football activities to instil best practice both on and off the pitch.”

The club’s statement added: “As referenced in the chairman’s statement (from the last set of financial results) there has been an ongoing review over the past six months of all of our footballing activities.

“Changes have been made and further improvements continue to ensure future progress and competitiveness.

“Scott, former City Football Group Executive, has extensive experience within sporting organisations having started his career with the Sydney Organising Committee for the 2000 Olympic Games and then transitioning into the National Rugby League, before joining the Australia Football League.

“Scott joined Melbourne City FC as Chief Executive Officer in 2010. In 2019 he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of City Football Group China.”

Spurs Web Opinion:

This appears to be a significant shift from a business focus to a football focus, at least on the surface.

Of course, we have to see whether Tottenham actually put it into practice in the way fans would hope.

Fingers crossed that Munn is given the freedom to really progress things on the pitch.

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