Hoddle on the way out at Tottenhan ?

[Storer68]

This is all over the back page of todays Standard -


Spurs target O'Neill

Spurs target O'Neill
By Adrian Curtis, Evening Standard
15 September 2003
Martin O'Neill would be Tottenham's No1 target if they decide to replace Glenn Hoddle.


Standard Sport also understands that the Celtic manager wants a return to the Premiership and would view the White Hart Lane job as a great challenge.

Hoddle is under mounting pressure after leading the club to their worst start in the Premiership, with only four points from five games. That pressure increased over the weekend with the 4-2 defeat at Chelsea.

The Spurs board have not yet decided that time is up for Hoddle but must see improved results over the next month. Chairman Daniel Levy is away for the next three weeks and no decision is likely to be made until the international break in October.

But the board believe they have backed their manager fully by giving him £12million to spend in the transfer market this summer, the second largest buying spree behind Chelsea.

The board's dilemma is whether their belief in Hoddle is strong enough to give him more time to turn things around, or make the change sooner rather than later in order to save the season. O'Neill has a one-year rolling contract with Celtic, which has a release clause in January. That gives him the opportunity of leaving Celtic Park without breaking his contract. Until then, Spurs' fallback would be for their director of football, David Pleat, to take over in a caretaker capacity.

It is understood O'Neill believes he has gone as far as he can in Scottish football because the present structure cannot sustain a long-term European challenge.

O'Neill was originally tipped to take over from Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United but the Scot's U-turn over his retirement ended that. He has also been linked with the Liverpool job but in recent weeks Gerard Houllier has revived the Anfield team.

Hoddle now faces four key matches, against former club Southampton at White Hart Lane this Saturday followed by a tricky Carling Cup tie at Coventry and Premiership games away at Manchester City and home to Everton before the break.

Meanwhile, Spurs captain Jamie Redknapp says the club's next two games are of huge significance. Redknapp insisted the pressure on the manager was not helping but stressed it was vital they bounced back.

They will have to do that without Ledley King, out for a month after damaging his hamstring in the defeat by Chelsea.

Redknapp said: "We have two big games coming up and we need to show some character. Southampton have not conceded a goal yet in the Premiership and we will have to be ready for that one.

"The Coventry game is being shown live on television and there will be a lot of extra pressure on us. We have to grind out two good wins but talking about the pressure the manager is under doesn't help us."

 

[Shizuoka Dolphin]

O'Neil would be a major coup for Spurs, but that whole story's just sepculation really, innit?

 

[Guinness Boy]

Don't know about that report but Hoddle was one of the pre season favourites to win the "sack race". Roeder may have beaten him to it but I wonder if Bobby's having second thoughts about linking up with God's manager

 

[BrightonBird]

Load of rubbish!

 

[albiongirl]

If he went who would go for that job??

 

[REDLAND]

Poor Old O'Neil any job going real or imaginary and hes always linked to it, even the shite ones. Surprised hes not on the bookies list for the Hammers job really !!!

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Hoddle is in deep poo.

Its not looking clever for him or Zamora. Zamora has not scored a goal in 5 games and although he has only played part of each game the longer it goes on the harder it will get for him. Fair play to Hoddle for giving him a chance but how long will they be patient with him.

A step too far for Bobby ?.

 

[ben andrews' girlfriend]

of course not gg, is is good enough to be in the prem, he just has to find his form. it is a massive jump from bottom of div 1 to the premiership. once he scores his first, he'll be alright

 

[fatbadger]

Would O'Neil give up guaranteed European football at the club he supported as a boy for a bunch of Premiershite also-rans? Sounds unlikely.

 

[fatbadger]

A step too far for Bobby ?.

Brett Ormerod took a while to get settled in at Southampton, but then by the end of last season was appearing in an FA Cup Final with them, after a good league season. Maybe it will prove a step too far for Bobby, but it is way too early to know.

 

[Normal Rob]

If he went who would go for that job??

I think that a lot of people would. Beside all the obvious 9top flight etc) you could hardly do any worse the GH - so the only way is up!

 

[Storer68]

i get the impression that this is a "controlled" leak from a tottenham board member. They are obviously well ticked off with Hoddles start to the season and the fact that they have been made t o look second best and mediocre in just about all their games so far...........

 

[Superseagull]

What are the odds of Mickey Adams getting a promotion to Spurs manager. Could be worth an early trip to the bookies! Otherwise i reckon a foreign manager would be most likely. Can't see hoddle being there much longer unless they start winning a few games.

 

[Storer68]

Would O'Neil give up guaranteed European football at the club he supported as a boy for a bunch of Premiershite also-rans? Sounds unlikely.

of course he would. otherwise he would have just stayed at Wycombe.

if he doers feel that he's taken celtic as far as possible given the fact that they will never be able to compete in the Champions League as long as they are hamstrung by having to play in the SPL (which would mean that the height of his achievement would be winning the UEFA Cup which they failed to do last season), then he might well start looking for fresh challenges

 

[Rougvie]

I think O Neill will go, but not to Spurs he is patiently waiting for the big one i.e Man U
Lets face it, he may as well bide his time as he's pretty much guaranteed of wining something every year at Celtic (Oh and thats not a pop at Rangers, just a reference to how bad the rest of the SPL are outside the Old Firm)

 

[fatbadger]

Storer68 - yeah, but doing well with Celtic in Europe (i.e. above expectations) last year and this year (say, reaching second round) means he will be able to walk into a big job with a club that can expect European football. Unlike Spurs.