Dutch legend tips former teammate despite acknowledging “risk” as Igor Tudor begins interim spell with Arsenal derby this weekend
Rafael van der Vaart has dismissed the idea of bringing back Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham Hotspur, despite the Argentine’s previous success at the club.
The former Spurs midfielder gave his take following Thomas Frank‘s dismissal, with Igor Tudor currently installed on an interim basis until the season’s end.
Frank was sacked with Tottenham languishing in 16th position, just five points above the Premier League relegation zone. Tudor inherits a crisis situation and faces an immediate baptism of fire, with Sunday’s north London derby against Arsenal representing his first match in charge.
Van der Vaart acknowledged the USMNT coach’s “fantastic” previous tenure at Tottenham but expressed reservations about recycling former coaches regardless of their historical achievements.
“Mauricio Pochettino was fantastic at Tottenham but I’m not truly a fan of bringing old managers back,” Van der Vaart told SkyBet.
Van der Vaart urges Spurs to appoint former teammate
Instead, the Dutchman advocated for Scott Parker, his former teammate from the Tottenham side that featured the likes of Gareth Bale, Luka Modrić, Peter Crouch.
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“As a player I was always a fan of Scott Parker. As a coach, I believe in him and I think that he would be a perfect fit for Spurs,” Van der Vaart added.
“A lot of people will laugh at me saying this, but I know Scott and I know that the players would love him, run extra for him and train like hell. Scott Parker would be a perfect fit, but it is a risk. Any coach you bring in now will be a risk.”
Parker‘s coaching career has followed an uneven trajectory since retiring from playing. He earned plaudits for his work at Fulham, guiding them to promotion from the Championship before struggling to keep them in the Premier League.
Subsequent spells at Bournemouth and Club Brugge have done little to establish the current Burnley boss as an elite-level coach, making Van der Vaart‘s advocacy somewhat surprising.
The more pressing concern involves Tudor‘s ability to navigate Tottenham through their remaining fixtures whilst avoiding relegation. The Croatian coach arrives with a reputation for defensive organisation but limited Premier League experience, creating uncertainty about whether he can arrest the slide that cost Frank his job.
Sunday’s North London derby may also represent the worst possible opening fixture, as league leaders Arsenal will look to bounce back after dropping two points in a 2-2 draw away at bottom-placed Wolves on Wednesday.
