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Improving on a shoestring - Can it be done?


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Baggio has put forward a very strong argument for a DoF/coach partnership instead of an 'old style' manager.  As someone who supports a club that has run with both options and having seen the best and worst of each (Nicholson/Gross > Comolli/Pleat), I totally agree with what Baggio is saying, I would dread the option of Spurs going back to the manager option, it is too big a job for just one man unless that one man gets the right staff around him in all the right places.

 

But under Comolli's reign we are beginning to see what a good DoF can bring to the party.  Berbatov signed for Spurs in spite of being wanted by Manchester Utd, Arsenal wanted Assou-Ekotto and Zokora was wanted by both of those clubs.  Berbatov said that he resisted the temptation to sign for the Mancs as Comolli had been talking to him for over 2 years and Zokora first spoke to him when Comolli was still with Arsenal.  It's that attention to detail which I personally think is impossible to maintain without a DoF.

 

Ironically, Comolli made his name attracting youngsters to Arsenal and that is his strength.  Since he joined Spurs he's recruited Tomas Pekhart, Dorian Dervite, Dean Parrett, Adam Smith, Takura Mtandari, Alex Olsen and (maybe) most importantly, Adel Taarabt who was wanted by just about every major club in Europe and in the end came down a choice of Barcelona and Spurs.  As Comolli had been talking to him for 5 years since he was 12, he opted for us.  Comolli reckons if he keeps his feet on the ground, he could be as good as Zidane and openly admits Taarabt is his best signing.  Maybe some will not live up to expectations but what those 7 youngsters have cost is roughly equal to what Berbatov cost. 

 

I don't believe that those players could have all been signed by a single club operating a manager only system, it would have been impossible to have maintained the contact with the kids whilst they were developing .  I very much agree with Baggio, a good, knowledgeable DoF is the logical way forward in the modern game as it is now.

 

Not many of those Spurs youngsters turned out to be that good...

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