The end of a beautiful relationship

So you’re at a party with your girlfriend. She’s super hot, a smoking babe, and a really beautiful person on the inside as well. Smart, funny, kind, all the best things. You’ve been together for a while and have really been good for each other. You were a bit of an up and comer when she first caught your eye but she saw the potential in you. Buoyed by her love and support you have reached new heights and earned a huge amount of respect from your peers.

Then in walks a handsome, smooth, sexy Spaniard. He’s cool as fuck, oozing charm and machismo, every eye in the place is on him, including your girlfriend’s. He comes over with a big smile on his face. Turns out they know each other from when they were growing up. There’s an energy between them that is obvious and undeniable but what can you say? Look at the guy. Hell you’d probably fuck him if you had the chance.

Then another geezer walks in. You know this guy, your paths cross fairly often. Loud, brash, full of himself and more money than God. You know he’s down on his luck, been through a few bad relationships lately after ending a long term one. You’ve caught him eying your girl in the past, seeing the envy just under the surface at how happy you are. You’ve heard about him moaning to mates about how he wishes he could have a girl like her, how it would solve all his problems. It’s never been an issue really up to now but you know he’s newly single with pockets full of the best gear money can buy. Your girl is only human after all.

All is not lost though. Over in the corner there’s a sexy little minx who keeps giving you the eye. She reminds you of your girl when you first met, full of promise and potential and eager energy. You’ve seen her around and while totally in love with your girl the ‘what if’ thoughts have popped into your head more than once, always leaving behind the tantalising taste of possibility.

This is the situation we find ourselves in right now. The two biggest jobs in world football will be open this summer and Mauricio Pochettino is at the very top of both very short shortlists. Anyone who thinks this means he will be managing Tottenham Hotspur next season is delusional. Sure Daniel Levy is a tough negotiator but the financial might of both Manchester United and Real Madrid is simply unopposable. Poch might love Spurs but everyone has a price and we simply can’t match what they will be willing to pay in a bidding war. For the good of Tottenham Levy and the fans must accept this, negotiate the biggest possible payout, and do everything we can to convince him to go to Spain rather than to United.

What must be avoided at all costs is a massive media campaign dragging on through the end of this season. We do not need United’s PR machine at the Guardian and elsewhere, not to mention the Real crazy media in Spain, writing articles every second day on the subject while Spurs are fighting in Europe and at home. We have a job to do, Poch still has a job to do, and we all remember only too well what happened the last time a manager of ours had his head turned by the prospect of a bigger job. We still have the chance to achieve miracles this season and nothing must distract from our goals. Pochettino is leading us into our new stadium, into our future, as he promised he would and should be allowed to leave the club with his head high and the club in fantastic shape.

And who knows? One door closes, another opens. That little minx in the corner giving us the eye? A young, English manager who has done an amazing job at one of the smallest clubs in the league, playing attractive football and earning a solid reputation. In the future they might just look back at a time when Pochettino’s departure was the start of the Eddie Howe era at Tottenham.

In the meantime there’s a party to enjoy. And while we can see our girl may be off with one of her new suitors we still have a chance to share some very special times together before she goes.