Glenn Hoddle column: Tottenham need squad rebuild... sacking Mourinho would not offer 100% solution

From his views on Jose Mourinho and Harry Kane’s future to Jesse Lingard and who he thinks is in the running to be named manager of the year, here Standard Sport’s columnist Glenn Hoddle answers your questions and picks out the player he will be watching closely this week.

Jimbo asks

Do West Ham have any chance of keeping Jesse Lingard when he is in this sort of form? Surely there will be top clubs all over Europe chasing him in the summer?

It is a great story because he was out in the cold at Manchester United and I think he feels at home at West Ham.

It might not be so much what other clubs might come in, it might be how much West Ham can make him feel really comfortable there. He is happy there, playing well on the pitch and has a chance of getting in the England squad for the Euros.

A lot depends on how he feels. He might love living in London and see his future there. Or he might wait and see what clubs come in.

But for sure I think he needs to move away from Manchester United to get the best out of himself.

West Ham will move heaven and earth to sign him.

Jenny asks

Should Tottenham still persist with Jose Mourinho when it clearly isn’t working? The mood at the club seems grim.

The League Cup Final is a crossroads for Tottenham. OK, it does not get them into the Champions League, but they can get some silverware and that would give everyone a lift and be a stepping stone for Jose to go on from there.

For many different reasons too, maybe for Harry Kane staying, for them to build on something. Their season comes down to this. It is a massive game for them.

When I see Tottenham at the moment, the squad is not strong enough, I do not care who your manager is. You have got some world-class players but it needs a rebuild. And a lot of the pressure in many ways is on Daniel Levy’s shoulders.

They have got the best stadium, the best training ground, now they have got to rebuild this squad. I do not think by changing the manager there is going to be a 100 per cent solution.

Sarah asks

What did you make of the reports around Harry Kane over the weekend? If you are Daniel Levy, do you have to do everything you can to keep him? What would it do to Tottenham if Kane left? How much would it set the club back?

Losing a quality player like Kane would be a setback to any club. I do not know whether that is in Tottenham’s hands, I think it is Harry Kane’s decision at the end of the day. If he puts his foot down and says he wants to go somewhere else and win trophies.

In an ideal world, I know Harry loves Tottenham and wants to stay at Tottenham and win trophies at Tottenham. If they win the League Cup, does he see that as a key moment in the club’s modern history to say this is a stepping stone to go and get success?

Do not forget, Mourinho did that with the League Cup with Chelsea and Manchester United. Everything is hanging on that game.

But I do not think anyone would blame Harry Kane if he moved now, if he said he wanted to win silverware elsewhere and the right offer was there. I think he is the one who will make that decision and Spurs will have to get the best deal they can possibly get. But it would be a crushing blow to the team.

There are only a few clubs who are going to be able to afford him, that is his problem as well at the moment.

There could be a little game of chess in Europe. If Erling Haaland goes to Manchester City that blocks that, if Kylian Mbappe goes to Real Madrid maybe there is an opening at Paris Saint-Germain. I would not like to see him go to Paris Saint-Germain to be honest but I would not blame him if he did look elsewhere.

Ismail asks

Who do you think deserves to be manager of the year in the Premier League?

That is a tough one. It is easy to say Pep Guardiola because they will win the title. If Pep wins the Champions League, then you have got to give it to him.

But if West Ham finish in the top four then you would have to seriously look at David Moyes. I would say one of those two.

My player to watch this week is...

It has to be Erling Haaland, the young superstar at Borussia Dortmund. Can he produce against a top-quality team in Manchester City and make the whole world sit up and take note?

Listen to Glenn Hoddle’s weekly sports podcast, The Glenn Hoddle Footy Show, available every Sunday from 8.30pm.

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