Spurs’ caretaker manager Ryan Mason is ready to take over at Tottenham Hotspur. The 31-year-old Englishman must bring the season of the floundering Londoners to a successful conclusion, now that the previous interim pope Cristian Stellini was fired at the beginning of this week after the defeat against Newcastle United (6-1).
Interim coach Spurs sees himself as an alternative to Nagelsmann and Slot
Stellini was also a temporary solution after Antonio Conte made himself impossible by lashing out at the club and Spurs chairman Daniel Levy during a press conference. Now that his former assistant has also left, Mason can get the chestnuts out of the fire. The assistant coach already has experience with this, because two years ago he also finished the season after the dismissal of José Mourinho.
At the time, Mason became the youngest manager in Premier-League history. Even now, the former Tottenham player is still relatively young. “I’m ready, I have no doubt about it,” said the interim coach on Wednesday, however, during his preview of Thursday’s match against Manchester United. “I’ve been in this world long enough. I’ve been a coach for almost six years now, I’m ready to handle this situation.”
That Spurs came to him as interim manager less than a month after Stellini was appointed to that role does not surprise Mason. “Nothing surprises me in football. It comes quite easily to me. I feel at ease, this is part of football. I’m not preoccupied with the situation, I want to have a positive impact,” he continued. The sporting crisis in which Tottenham finds itself does not faze him either
Mason acknowledges that Spurs have had better times and that after last Sunday’s dismay in Newcastle, the players have to come up with a reaction in the duels with United and Liverpool. He added, “We have to be realistic. With three training sessions before two important games it’s hard to change much. But I hope that by the end of the season people can visibly see my mark on the group.”
Candidate to take over the baton definitively
And then he also hopes that Levy sees him as a candidate to take over the baton definitively. In any case, Mason is ready for it. But knows that a permanent appointment is only an option after the last six league matches of the season. According to English media, Julian Nagelsmann is the main candidate, but the 35-year-old German reportedly has the necessary requirements. Feyenoord coach Arne Slot is also mentioned.
