Tottenham Hotspur's search for a new head coach is making no real progress, and their lack of a sporting director is actively harming the process, expert Julien Laurens has claimed.
What's going on with Spurs?
The Lilywhites are on their third manager of the season, as Antonio Conte's sacking was quickly followed up with the departure of Cristian Stellini, and acting interim manager Ryan Mason has a huge job on his hands.
Sporting director Fabio Paratici was dismissed from his role following the receipt of a global ban from football due to charges related to his spell at Juventus, and no replacement appears imminent.
Speaking on ESPN FC (6.40), Laurens claimed that a lack of guidance for chairman Daniel Levy in this managerial search is a recipe for disaster.
"It's a squad that is completely unbalanced right now, and there's no sporting director. The worst thing that could happen in this search for a new manager at Spurs is the fact that it's got nobody guiding it, apart from Daniel Levy, who's got another million things to sort out," he stated.
"The lack of sporting director is huge, because of how important the relationship between a sporting director and the manager is, and if they're not on the same page, it's going to fail. We've seen it so many times.
"So choosing a head coach or manager without having a sporting director already in place is an absolute nightmare because you will need to get them both right and both to get on and be on the same page and want the same thing in the same direction, to make it work.
"For that is much easier if you already have a good sporting director that you trust in, that can help you choose the right manager, with whom you will form a good partnership, which is not the case right now. So it's going to be very difficult for Spurs."
What should Spurs do now?
Spurs have now distanced themselves from former Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann, and do not appear confident in their search for a new manager next season.
The lack of sporting director means there is no plan for the type of manager they want, whether a short or long-term hire, and the mistakes of 2021 look set to be repeated.
Spurs were publicly rejected by a number of candidates before landing on Nuno Espirito Santo, and the club will be keen to avoid a similar scenario.
One option could be to stick with Ryan Mason until a sporting director or suitable managerial candidate is found. With reported targets Nagelsmann and Vincent Kompany off the table, another drawn-out saga could lay ahead for Levy and Spurs.