Taken from thespursweb.com With the names starting to come out of the woodwork for the vacant managers job at the Lane there now are some interesting contenders. Martin O'Neil Without doubt the most impressive and probably most capable manager being mentioned. However is he likely to leave Celtic while they are still in the Champions League? ... No! Is Spurs a big enough club for his ambition... Maybe (depends on the boards sales technique). Are the Man Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle or Chelsea jobs going to be come available?... No! (well possibly Chelsea but the worst kept secret in football is that Sven is being lined up for that role). I can see the board holding out with Pleat until O'Neil is willing to talk. O'Neil would be my choice and he would stand for no nonsense from anyone but could he trust our board, now that is another question. David Pleat Our most overall successful manager in the last 20 years. How do I come to this remark? Well in 1987 we finished 3rd in the league, runners up in the FA Cup final and were knocked out in the Semis of the League Cup by Liverpool. Our best league position for I think over 30 years (someone can correct me) and good runs in both cups, however as Pleat was released of his duties due to non footballing matters we will never know how good he might have been. The second worst kept secret in football is that Pleat and Hoddle did not get on. Pleat has always been a strange appointment to me; he has seemed to pick up our best young signings but a Director of Football surely most work closely with the manager? He obviously did not work well with Hoddle but he does seem to spot good young players. He might be the only choice once the favoured few drop out of the race. A very sound football brain but is he the man to transform us from a middle of the table side to playing in Europe every year, I can't see it myself. Alan Curbishley Behind O'Neil the second best candidate. A decent bloke, a good footballing brain, an amazing return on little investment and well respected, the perfect ingredients for a football manager. But unfortunately he seems to be very very loyal to Charlton and I don't believe he feels Spurs are a big enough club for him to leave. Graham Souness Has taken a very similar talented squad of players (to Spurs squad) and has won the League Cup (how can we forget that), qualified for Europe for the second season in a row and are now probably the 6th best side in the Country. Is he likely to leave Blackburn, I think we have more chance in getting Arsene Wenger. Raddy Antic I must admit, I do not know his achievements too well. Very well thought of in Spain, has led Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona with some success. A good friend of Pleat which holds him in good stead but he is out of work and my personal opinion is that is if he was a great manager he would be employed already. He is available and that makes him one of the favourites. Klaus Topmoller Apparently he has already had talks with Spurs directors. I wouldn't read too much into this as the most important person (Daniel Levy) to evaluate the manager is out of the country. Has guided an average Bayer Leverkusen (Michael Ballack aside) side to the Champions League Final. He is interested and that makes him one of the favourites. A chain smoking German might not be in the Tottenham mould but I wonder if he knows Klinsmann. Could be an interesting if those two could form a partnership. Gianluca Vialli Very successful at Chelsea and won trophies. Fell out with Bates and was booted out (no crime in that). However a disastrous year at Watford has put his career on the back burner but he would generate respect straight away and he has had success. On outside bet but a gent and someone who in my eyes talks a lot of sense. Then there are a two people who come under the 'don't even go there' section. David Ginola - a legend but a manager? Not a chance, could be useful on the coaching side. Ruud Gullit - Spurs have just lost one manager for according to reports being arrogant, aloof, and distant with confusing tactics. We don't need to appoint someone similar.
Excellent run down, but I'm fairly confident that this is a significantly incomplete list. There are other serious candidates even now. Hypothetically, if Bruce Arena were asked to manage Spurs, he would certainly need a right-hand man who knows English football in general and both the Premiership and European football specifically. This person should be English, and help bridge the gap between the double-foreigner. I say double, because not only is he non-English and non-British, but he is from a nation that is historically non-football in mindset, culture and results. Thus, this gap to be bridged would be very significant. Honestly, it is a role that Pleat would be exceptionally well-suited to fill. I'm not suggesting that Arena is a candidate, but rather that if he were, I think this is a pretty good situation because of Pleat. Despite the fact that Arena is signed on to coach the US National Team through the next World Cup, I'm fairly confident that they would release him from his contract for a club like Spurs. And there may be another candidate or two out there right now as well. -Digital