Spurs are searching for a new permanent manager after this week’s sacking of Villas-Boas, who paid the price for last Sunday’s 5-0 thrashing by Liverpool.
Tim Sherwood wants to take charge of the team on a permanent basis after being named as interim boss, but Ajax boss Frank de Boer and former Manchester United assistant Carlos Queiroz have also been linked with the role.
Hoddle has close ties with the club, having played and managed the team, and would be happy to take the helm – even if it was only until the summer.
He told Sky Sports 1: “Do I want the job? I’ve had the job there once. Listen Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, I supported them when I was eight years of age. I went there at 12, I left at 28, went back and managed. It’s in my blood, it’s in my bones. If I was offered the job, yes I would want to go back.
“Tim’s in pole position here. If he gets a good win today and he moves on and the club decide that. It’s whatever is right for the football club and if they felt that they wanted me to go until the end of the season – and they wanted something else long-term, I would be prepared to do that, because I love the club.”
When asked if he had been approached by Spurs, Hoddle said: “Not about the job no, not at all. They have not offered me the job so it’s all speculation.”
Hoddle was sacked by chairman Daniel Levy in 2003 after two mid-table finishes in the top flight, but the former England boss insists much has changed since then.
“No I think it’s a different club completely. I had a squad that was ageing at the time, we were bringing free transfers in,” he said.
“We brought Teddy Sheringham and Gus (Poyet) in on free transfers. This isn’t the same scenario, this club at the moment. It’s a completely different scenario to that. I think there’s a way forward.
“I was down the training ground about a month ago. A completely different situation with the stadium, nothing to do with what’s happening at this moment in time.
“Wonderful training ground. Absolutely stunning. A new stadium to be built, they’ve got a squad that looks as if they have got some real talent in there. So it’s completely different.”
Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville believes Spurs acted far too hastily in their decision to end Villas-Boas’ reign.
He has branded the club’s board as ‘deluded’ if they think the team can challenge for the Premier League title.
“I’m not really sure what they expect,” said the former Manchester United defender.
“There are sorts of elements of the Tottenham boardroom that seem to suggest they should be winning the title, well they are deluded.
“There’s no way they can win the title. Integrate seven or eight players from foreign soil in three months and expecting them to be champions of England.
“Alright you could argue they could expect to get in the top four, but there’s a long way to go yet in this season. Every team has been inconsistent.
“I think it’s a difficult job to integrate so many payers into a new team and expect them to hit the ground running.
“For me, it’s far too soon that Villas-Boas was sacked. They should have let him complete his work, see out his job.
“At the end of the season if he obviously continued to get bad results and finish seventh, eighth, ninth, maybe then you could look at it. But for me part way through a season, when everyone has been inconsistent is ridiculous.”
Written by Steve Milne – have your say below 🙂
