This Week’s Manager Watch: Ryan Mason

[PCozzie]

He’s an impressive guy, but we’ve got no real idea what a team under him will play like, or if he has the ability to coach them to play how he wants. For instance, Lampard came into Chelsea talking about playing high-pressing attacking football but had no clue how to implement it.

The standard of coaching is so high in the PL right now, it’s not enough just to
have a vibes guy who sends a team out to just play loose. I’m not saying that is what Mase is but until he goes and coaches a team at a lower level we won’t know.

Yeah, I think that's where I'm currently at with Ryan Mason, though paradoxically I do think that's what we need until the end of this season. I think the players are starting - in patches - to throw the shackles off and that looks to be more vibes than any specific system or tactics that Ryan has implemented. No-one is expecting miracles from the guy, but if he can get us to the summer break thinking positively then he'll have fulfilled his 'mission'.

Would love to see him work with his own ideas over a couple or three seasons at a Championship/League 1 club and then we will have a better idea what he's all about.

 

[idontgetit]

I might catch some flack for saying this but Sherwood played an important role in the rejuvenation of Spurs because he 'reset' things from a failed and strict regime, for Poch to then come in and do something new. I doubt that was intentional but it did work that way. Hopefully Mason's time in charge does the same for us (albeit it a much more technically competent manner).

 

[DEFchenkOE]

My issue with Mason is that he's mates with Dier. Would he have the guts to drop him? For me I'd move Romero to the centre and put Emerson rcb when fit.

 

[Hotspur33]

Mason has been given an amazing chance to succeed as a manager. He has experience playing under Poch, being around during the Mourinho era and working directly with Conte. That’s a hell of an education.
What he needs to do now is go and manage somewhere. But football is fickle he needs to find a good fit.
I would avoid going to a team fighting for survival. Ideally go to a team with a good academy for him to dip into, and maybe a team who have lost their manager as a result of them doing well.

My local team Exeter city, might be a nice landing spot for him, should a vacancy come up.
Recently promoted, about to finish mid table, league 1. They are a fan run club and rely heavily on their academy.

 

[Japhet]

Apart from anything else, can you imagine the absolute pelters Levy would get if he hired Mason, irrespective of what he does til the end of the season? The haters would have an absolute bloody field day over his cheapness, lack of ambition, no plan to succeed and general ignorance about football. It would be a bloodbath.

It could do massive damage to Mason getting caught in the middle of that too.

 

[muppetman]

He’s an impressive guy, but we’ve got no real idea what a team under him will play like, or if he has the ability to coach them to play how he wants. For instance, Lampard came into Chelsea talking about playing high-pressing attacking football but had no clue how to implement it.

The standard of coaching is so high in the PL right now, it’s not enough just to
have a vibes guy who sends a team out to just play loose. I’m not saying that is what Mase is but until he goes and coaches a team at a lower level we won’t know.

You may very well be right, but it feels like almost anyone would be a punt into the unknown. We've also just had two "tactical genius" type coaches and it's been a pretty unenjoyable time. Maybe we just need some good vibes

 

[gavspur]

I think this is too soon for him. I like him, and his ideas, but I think that being so close to some of the players, could be a problem. Ask him back in a few years or so when the core of these players are gone (although, I bet we still have Sanchez, Lloris, Dier, Hojbjerg etc)

 

[1882andallthat]

Well said Ryan, you said out loud what everybody else who doesn't grovell to Liverpool FC thinks.

Too many referees and officials on and off the field are either too intimidated or too biased to do the right thing at Anfield and give the sort of decisions that should be given.

If it was hoped that VAR would finally start to right the wrongs of so many questionable decisions that go their way because true independent thinking officials would see in slow motion the very wrongs they were supposed to put right then we have been sadly and badly let down by the body of officials that referee and adjudicate our game.

It's an absolute disgrace that this sort of biased and intimidated refereeing enables them time and time again to get away with far too many last minute winners or points that they should not be entitled to, and because of this it feeds the sickly media narrative that they are so deserving of all these decision going their way and that they always deserve the last minute winners or draws that net them 3 points or equalisers because the false narrative that they have the so called best fans in the world is constantly peddled.

 

[Timberwolf]

You may very well be right, but it feels like almost anyone would be a punt into the unknown. We've also just had two "tactical genius" type coaches and it's been a pretty unenjoyable time. Maybe we just need some good vibes

I think Mason would be, by a country mile, the biggest punt though.

At least Nagelsmann, Slot and Kompany each have a track record of building teams that play attractive football at more than 1 club and overachieving with fairly limited resources. They've each got their own team of coaches, have a distinct style of play, have experienced the ups and downs of management, etc.

Mason has managed about 8 senior games of men's football and all as an interim...

I get that Mason represents the opposite of Conte and Jose, is proper Spurs and loves the club, but good vibes and being fully COYS just aren't enough to base a massive decision like this on IMO, even if he is articulate and shows promise.

There's a middle ground between the grizzled, angry "proven winners" that don't suit the club and giving the job to a complete novice.

 

[muppetman]

I think Mason would be, by a country mile, the biggest punt though.

At least Nagelsmann, Slot and Kompany each have a track record of building teams that play attractive football at more than 1 club and overachieving with fairly limited resources. They've each got their own team of coaches, have a distinct style of play, have experienced the ups and downs of management, etc.

Mason has managed about 8 senior games of men's football and all as an interim...

I get that Mason represents the opposite of Conte and Jose, is proper Spurs and loves the club, but good vibes and being fully COYS just aren't enough to base a massive decision like this on IMO, even if he is articulate and shows promise.

There's a middle ground between the grizzled, angry "proven winners" that don't suit the club and giving the job to a complete novice.

You may well be right and it's impossible to prove a negative, so unless we give him a go, we will never know.

I'm not even saying that I think he should get the gig, I just don't think it's a ridiculous idea. Of course he might be Lampard and be a total fraud, but then he might be Kompany?

 

[easley91]

I'll say it..

I'd give Mason the Crawley job now we're safe in League 2 for another year and see how he does.

 

[PCozzie]

Apart from anything else, can you imagine the absolute pelters Levy would get if he hired Mason, irrespective of what he does til the end of the season? The haters would have an absolute bloody field day over his cheapness, lack of ambition, no plan to succeed and general ignorance about football. It would be a bloodbath.

It could do massive damage to Mason getting caught in the middle of that too.

Yeh, this ain't the club, and definitely not the time, to be showcasing your very first full-time managerial position.

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

Apart from anything else, can you imagine the absolute pelters Levy would get if he hired Mason, irrespective of what he does til the end of the season? The haters would have an absolute bloody field day over his cheapness, lack of ambition, no plan to succeed and general ignorance about football. It would be a bloodbath.

It could do massive damage to Mason getting caught in the middle of that too.

But the BSoDL will have his back

 

[Timberwolf]

You may well be right and it's impossible to prove a negative, so unless we give him a go, we will never know.

I'm not even saying that I think he should get the gig, I just don't think it's a ridiculous idea. Of course he might be Lampard and be a total fraud, but then he might be Kompany?

Yeah but you could say that about literally anything or appointing anyone. We can't prove my mum wouldn't win Wimbledon since she's never entered but I've got a pretty good idea of how that would go down (3 set loss in the last 8).

I think we need to make an educated decision based on all the information we have, not just vibes. If Mason is able to truly convince the powers that be he's a better candidate than the other options available then fair play, he must be bloody impressive, and maybe he deserves it. But beyond that appointing him based on his track record vs the other candidates, I just can't see how you justify it.

 

[muppetman]

Yeah but you could say that about literally anything or appointing anyone. We can't prove my mum wouldn't win Wimbledon since she's never entered but I've got a pretty good idea of how that would go down (3 set loss in the last 8).

I think we need to make an educated decision based on all the information we have, not just vibes. If Mason is able to truly convince the powers that be he's a better candidate than the other options available then fair play, he must be bloody impressive, and maybe he deserves it. But beyond that appointing him based on his track record vs the other candidates, I just can't see how you justify it.

Absolutely, maybe we should appoint a proven winner to really increase our chances?

I'm joking and I do agree that generally you maximises your chances of success when recruiting anyone. However, we are in such a weird place that doing something a little bit mental like this does have some appeal.

I think I'd probably choose Nagelsmann as my first pick, but after that Mason, Slot, Ange, Amorim are all much of a muchness for me.

 

[Timberwolf]

Absolutely, maybe we should appoint a proven winner to really increase our chances?

I'm joking and I do agree that generally you maximises your chances of success when recruiting anyone. However, we are in such a weird place that doing something a little bit mental like this does have some appeal.

I think I'd probably choose Nagelsmann as my first pick, but after that Mason, Slot, Ange, Amorim are all much of a muchness for me.

Yeah I get what you mean, but by many people's standards even appointing Kompany would be "doing something a bit mental" given he's also young, relatively green and only has experience of managing in the Belgian league and the Championship. Yet even he is massively more experienced and qualified for the job than Mason.

I think that's about the level of risk I'd be willing to entertain and Mason would be way behind Nagelsmann, De Zerbi, Ange, Slot and Kompany on my list.

 

[Johnny J]

Of course he might be Lampard and be a total fraud, but then he might be Kompany?

He might, but it's not 50/50 chance. It's incredibly unlikely he turns out to be a title winning manager.

 

[Spursmatty87]

He’s conducted himself well in the last couple of games. Tbh theses games were just about not getting embarrassed. Now is where he needs to show what he’s about.
It can’t be like last time where he just steadied the ship he needs to get his stamp on the team so he can show any team that needs a manager that he has his own way.

Big ask in four games but I think he needs to be brave and not listen to any noises or pressure from within the club

 

[muppetman]

He might, but it's not 50/50 chance. It's incredibly unlikely he turns out to be a title winning manager.

I think it's incredibly unlikely anyone turns out to be a title winning manager with us.

I think a lot of our fanbase are looking for the manager to be our saviour - come in and through vast tactical acumen turn us around. We thought that Jose would do it, then we thought that Conte would.

The reality is that the PL is hugely competitive and I'm not convinced that being a tactical genius is what is needed. What we need is motivation, hard work, togetherness and doing the basics right. If we do that, the quality of our squad will have us there or thereabouts. One off tactical tweaks is more a CL requirement which seems a way off at the moment.

At the moment, Mason talks well, seems to have motivated the squad and looks like he genuinely wants to be here - a huge improvement on the last two. He might also be a tactical genius (or a dunce), I just don't know.

Is it enough? I don't know, but I'd be willing to give him some time. One of my major concerns after the last few years of dross, is that if Nagelsmann (or Slot, or Ange) doesn't get us firing pretty quickly then the crowd will start grumbling very early on and we know how that turns out.

 

[FinnYid]

He might, but it's not 50/50 chance. It's incredibly unlikely he turns out to be a title winning manager.

That's hardly relevant, we can get any Messiah in and changes of him winning league title with us are very slim as things stand.