Tottenham Hotspurs Levy’s dilemma – LVG to replace Sherwood?….

When the sacking of AVB was confirmed lots of reports flew around linking all manner of managers to the, what is seemingly more of an ejector rather than hot seat at Tottenham Hotspur.

Top names were linked and after Tim was appointed as Head Coach in December on an 18^th month deal that hasn’t really stopped, even Ruud Gullit has popped up out of oblivion and suggested Levy has been round Van Gaal’s house and the deal “is done”.

Looking at it now after Tottenham’s recent heavy defeats by Liverpool and Chelsea not to mention the drubbing’s by the other top teams, their Europa League elimination by Benfica and their almost anorexic hopes of making the top four (and that be all and end all of football the Champions League), you would surely suggest that trigger happy Levy has already got the clubs lawyers drafting the T & C’s of Sherwood’s demotion or departure.

The ink on AVB’s P45 wasn’t even dry when the media was linking LVG to the Spurs job but as he said he would not do two jobs as he is currently coach of the Dutch national side, Im sure Levy would of also felt this was a not ideal, so you’d think that’s why he went with  Tim Sherwood.

In some sections of Spurs support it was felt that the appointment of Tim Sherwood on an 18^th Month deal was a short term appointment until LVG was free and was a win/win for both, as the following scenarios show:

• Sherwood is a success and Spurs win any of the FA/Carling/Europa league trophy’s and qualify for the Champions League Levy is a genius for having the balls to appoint a young British manager, Sherwood stays on and Roberts your fathers brother.
• Sherwood doesn’t lead the club to glory, Levy offers him his old job back on reduced terms or sacks him with only a year’s compensation to pay on what you would think is a modest contract and Sherwood has a decent tenure at a top club on his CV.

Unfortunately for Tim it looks like the 2^nd scenario is the more likely of the two and I’m sure I’ll take some stick for presuming Sherwood will be sacked but I’d imagine even the most ardent Spurs fans will see its inevitable.

The negatives to LVG is he is known to be a slow starter who frequently finds his players needing time to grasp his tactics and his unique style of play. Generally his teams are successful in the second or third season under his tenure, an exception being the 09–10 season when he won the Bundesliga title and lost the Champions League final to a well drilled Mourinho inspired Inter Milan. Van Gaal has had his troubles with the media especially in Spain, he is known to be very blunt and short with the press if he perceives them to be asking him ‘stupid’ questions.

So what of Louis Van Gaal positives, we know he is a top coach and has the rather grand claim to having won a league championship in every country he has managed in, some would say that’s only Spain, Germany and Holland (although the Eredivisie he won with unfashionable AZ must be recognised), he is considered by many as the man who kick started the dominance of Barca & Bayern with his philosophies and one to one player coaching and has not got a win percentage ratio below 53% at any of his previous employers….surely the man Levy is looking for to deliver his Tottenham dream if he can make it through the first season and perhaps more importantly if LVG accepts the spurs job and isn’t tempted by spartak Moscow’s roubles…