The Spurs News

Mauricio Pochettino is making ‘quality’ claim over Tottenham’s current squad

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Mauricio Pochettino is making ‘quality’ claim over Tottenham’s current squad - The Spurs News
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Mauricio Pochettino believes that Tottenham Hotspur’s current squad has much better ‘quality’ than the one he inherited back in 2014.

Over the weekend, Tottenham confirmed the appointment of Igor Tudor as interim until the end of the season, setting up the chance for a permanent appointment in the summer.

🤔 How many of Tottenham’s players from Mauricio Pochettino’s first line-up in 2014 would make the club’s current team?

Pochettino appears to be one of the leading contenders for the permanent Spurs job, and the Argentine seems excited by that prospect.

The 53-year-old has clearly been discussing the possibility of a return to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, having spoken with people close to him about the current squad.

Mauricio Pochettino on Tottenham’s current squad

Mauricio Pochettino has been telling people close to him that Tottenham Hotspur’s current squad is in a better state than when he took over in 2014, according to Martin Lipton.

The Argentine arrived in North London, where he inherited a real mess of a squad, having to start the likes of Younes Kaboul, Kyle Naughton and Emmanuel Adebayor.

The Lilywhites’ squad, although battling relegation, has far more individual quality, which a top coach should be able to utilise.

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Lipton told The Whistle Blows: “Speaking to people who know Poch, I’m told that he sees the situation the club is in now as actually better than the one he inherited in 2014.

“That he thinks actually there’s more quality in the squad than he had when he came into that squad.”

Right now, Tottenham view Pochettino as the ideal candidate, and everything seems to be pointing towards his return in the summer.

True or false: Tottenham re-appointing Mauricio Pochettino would be a bad idea…

At this stage, a return was not possible, given that he is contracted to the United States national team until after the 2026 World Cup.

The prospect of Pochettino working with the likes of Xavi Simons, Micky van de Ven, Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray should be rather exciting.

Although they have not really shown it, Pochettino is right that the current squad is far more exciting than the one he took charge of almost 12 years ago.

Tottenham are ‘effectively waiting’ for Mauricio Pochettino

Meanwhile, Tom Barclay believes that Tottenham are ‘effectively waiting’ for Pochettino, given they have gone down the route of an interim.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Barclay said: “We’ll wait to see if that is actually the case because very much a lot of people think that they are effectively waiting for Pochettino and I think that there’s a lot of truth in that argument.

“Obviously, he’s not available until he’s done with the USA at the World Cup. He can never have done this job role on a dual basis. So, that romantic return feels very much still on the cards.”

Ange Postecoglou thinks he knows exactly why Thomas Frank failed at Tottenham

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Ange Postecoglou thinks he knows exactly why Thomas Frank failed at Tottenham - The Spurs News
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Ange Postecoglou believes that Thomas Frank failed at Tottenham because the squad was built to play his attacking brand of football.

Tottenham sacked Frank on Tuesday morning following an 11th Premier League defeat of the season at home to Newcastle United.

👀 AGREE or DISAGREE: Ange Postecoglou deserved the chance to have SEASON THREE at Tottenham…

The Danish head coach’s dismissal comes just eight months after Postecoglou was also relieved of his duties, despite winning the Europa League.

Now, the former Spurs boss has been discussing his former club and why he thinks Frank was almost destined to fail at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Ange Postecoglou on Tottenham’s sacking of Thomas Frank

Ange Postecoglou believes Thomas Frank was always going to struggle at Tottenham Hotspur due to the way the squad was built.

The 60-year-old built the team to play a very attacking brand of football, whereas Frank wanted to be more pragmatic in his approach.

Speaking about the issues at Tottenham, Postecoglou told The Overlap: “Look, having been in that position now twice in the last sort of six months, it’s tough.

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“You know that he can’t be the only issue at the club, right? And that’s probably for every manager, but ultimately, that’s what we get judged on.

“But, you know, it goes back to me. It’s a curious club, Tottenham. You know, I made a major pivot at the end of last year, not just with me, but with Daniel leaving as well.

“You’ve created this whole sort of environment of uncertainty because there are no guarantees. Doesn’t matter which manager you bring in. I mean, they’ve had world-class managers there; they haven’t had success.”

Meanwhile, the North London club also appointed Frank in a bid to be competitive across ‘multiple fronts’; however, as Postecoglou makes clear, that’s never been the case.

“So, Thomas is walking in, and what’s his, you know, what’s his objective? What’s the club’s objective? I mean, at the start of the year, they sort of said compete on all fronts,” added the former Spurs boss.

“Well, the club hasn’t competed on all fronts for a very long time, and you also, you know, the most influential person at the club for the last 20 years is also going.

True or false: Tottenham re-appointing Mauricio Pochettino would be a bad idea…

“So, if you’re going to do such a major pivot, then you’ve got to understand there’s going to be some instability there.

“Now, did Thomas know he was walking into that? I don’t know. It’s a fair departure for me. I mean, anyone who kind of studies the game will know that it wasn’t like it was a progression for me.

“I built that sort of squad to play a certain way over the last couple of years, and he’s sort of coming in. So, it’s a curious club, Tottenham, mate.”

Roberto De Zerbi’s immediate stance on Tottenham job revealed following Thomas Frank exit

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How Roberto De Zerbi immediately feels about taking the Tottenham job after Thomas Frank's sacking - The Spurs News
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Roberto De Zerbi could suddenly become a strong contender for the Tottenham Hotspur job and he would be open to replacing Thomas Frank.

The Italian manager has been sacked as head coach of Marseille following a very mixed run of results in Ligue 1 and the Champions League.

Fill in the blank: Roberto De Zerbi would be a ____________ appointment for Tottenham…

Would De Zerbi be a good replacement for Thomas Frank?

The French club were eliminated from Europe in the group stage and suffered a 5-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain over the weekend.

The former Brighton boss could now suddenly emerge as a contender to take the job at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Roberto De Zerbi would be open to joining Tottenham

Roberto De Zerbi would be open to joining Tottenham Hotspur following the departures of Fabio Paratici and Daniel Levy, according to Alex Crook.

De Zerbi has left Marseille following one-and-a-half seasons in charge of the Phocaeans and is now available to replace the sacked Thomas Frank.

The 46-year-old has previously been linked with the job in North London; however, he was not keen to work with either Levy or Paratici.

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But now, with Levy having left in the summer and Paratici joining Fiorentina, the possibility of De Zerbi joining could suddenly become a hot topic at Spurs.

Crook told TalkSPORT: “I’m thinking it’s not necessarily a coincidence that Roberto De Zerbi has left Marseille overnight. He was someone that Spurs were keen to appoint before, bringing in even Ange Postecoglou.

Sum up Thomas Frank’s time at Tottenham in three words

“At the time, I’m told he wasn’t necessarily up for working with Daniel Levy or Fabio Paratici, the former sporting director.

“Both of those are no longer part of the day-to-day running of the football club, and I’m told De Zerbi would potentially be more open to taking the Tottenham job. So certainly that is going to be one to check.”

Danny Murphy on Roberto De Zerbi at Tottenham

Danny Murphy has warned Tottenham that De Zerbi would be a bad appointment as he is a ‘problem’.

“He did what all managers do when they get some success is they start believing their own hype. I think De Zerbi might be a problem,” Murphy told TalkSPORT.

“Right now, they’ve just got to get someone in and keep them in the league. Don’t think long-term, think short-term.

Tottenham still have four reasons not to sack Thomas Frank just yet despite losing to Newcastle

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Tottenham still have four reasons not to sack Thomas Frank just yet despite losing to Newcastle - The Spurs News
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Thomas Frank looks to be on the brink of the sack at Tottenham Hotspur; however, the club still have four key reasons why he might not leave just yet.

The North London club are well and truly in a relegation battle this season following the team’s 2-1 defeat at home to Newcastle United.

Simple Question: How on earth is Thomas Frank still in a job?

Frank’s team were loudly booed off the pitch at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with their tally of Premier League defeats now at 11.

Spurs supporters have made their feelings clear towards the manager, but right now, the board remain reluctant to part ways with the Dane.

Tottenham are still making excuses for Thomas Frank

Thomas Frank has lost support behind the scenes at Tottenham Hotspur, and work has begun on sorting his replacement, according to BBC Sport.

The 53-year-old’s job security is now in the balance; however, several excuses are being made for the Danish head coach.

Firstly, Frank was without 11 first-team players against Newcastle, with key players such as James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Lucas Bergvall, Cristian Romero and Pedro Porro missing.

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If you bring ONE Tottenham player back from injury, who are you choosing? 👀

The North London club also believe the squad requires major work, having lost both Harry Kane and Son Heung-min quite recently.

Losing so many key players means there’s a lack of leaders in the dressing room, which is why Tottenham wanted to sign Andrew Robertson in January.

Finally, Tottenham’s owners have been hoping for some managerial stability, having gone through four managers since November 2019.

But given the severity of the situation, the club could be forced to act before the North London derby on February 22.

Thomas Frank expects to remain Tottenham manager

However, Frank himself is still expecting to remain Tottenham manager when the team face Arsenal in almost two weeks.

When asked whether he will still be manager against Arsenal, Frank told the media: “Yeah, I’m convinced I will be.

“I understand it’s easy to point at me, but I also think it’s never only the head coach or the ownership or the directors or the players or the staff. It’s everyone.

“If you do something right, you build something that can last. Of course, we are not in a top position now.

“Everyone knows, directors, ownership, myself, what position we are in, what we need to improve and what we need to do better. That is what we are working very hard on.”

Alan Smith makes depressing Harry Kane claim as Tottenham lose to Newcastle

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Tottenham Hotspur are once again in a sorry state of affairs.

Last season’s 17th-place finish in the Premier League was supposed to be nothing more than a blip in which Ange Postecoglou prioritised winning the Europa League over doing anything remotely useful domestically.

Sum up Tottenham’s loss to Newcastle in three words

In 2024/25, the three relegated sides were all newly promoted teams who never threatened to avoid relegation and that gave Tottenham a get-out-of-jail card to sit rooted to 17th for the second half of the season without any real risk attached.

Thomas Frank doesn’t have the same luxury. His Tottenham team were once again abject, disjointed and devoid of confidence; booed off following a 2-1 home defeat to Newcastle, which pushed the Dane close to the brink.

Alan Smith makes sad Harry Kane claim as Tottenham lose again

The romantics among the Tottenham fan base believe that Kane will return one day to finally get the Premier League goalscoring record away from Alan Shearer, who scored 260 goals.

Kane is currently firing on all cylinders with Bayern Munich, and even in his thirties, he remains one of the most prolific goal scorers in world football.

Smith thinks the Tottenham drop off since Kane departed is going to have a big impact on any decision he makes to return to the Premier League in the future, however, with Bayern keen to extend his stay at the club.

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He said on Sky Sports News: “I mean, there’s always been this talk about coming back to the Premier League and overtaking Alan Shearer. I just can’t see that, really.

“For one, what club does he go to, whereby he would be able to get that many goals? Would he go back to Spurs? I don’t know. I don’t know. I would think not, certainly not at the moment.

“He doesn’t want to go back to a struggling club. He seems to really enjoy it out there. You know, his performances on the pitch tell you that.”

Tottenham need to sack Thomas Frank

Last season, Manchester United finished in 16th, with Tottenham a place below in 17th, but the difference this time around has been that one club hasn’t been afraid to act on an underperforming manager.

Since United parted with Ruben Amorim and hired Michael Carrick, the Red Devils have won four – including one against Tottenham – and drawn one to create a genuine chance of a top four finish.

Simple Question: How on earth is Thomas Frank still in a job?

The issue Tottenham have had since Kane left hasn’t been his departure in isolation, it’s been the fact that he’s never truly been replaced with a player who is fit enough to lace the legend’s boots!

Dominic Solanke is a good player, but he’s not Kane, and a striker of genuine world-class potential should have been identified way before the talisman departed North London.

Tottenham are currently in woeful form and unless the club can move out of this slump in the next 18 months, there is absolutely no chance that Kane returns to the Premier League to don the famous white jersey once again.

Jamie O’Hara has a clear Thomas Frank message after watching Tottenham lose to Newcastle

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For the second year in a row, Tottenham Hotspur are genuinely in the relegation mix.

Spurs finished seventeenth last season under Ange Postecoglou, but, as it happened, a Europa League win papered over the cracks and allowed Spurs to qualify for the Champions League.

Barring a truly unbelievable miracle, that will not be happening this time around.

Indeed, Spurs are in massive trouble, and the focus this time isn’t a European trophy, it’s survival.

Simple Question: How on earth is Thomas Frank still in a job?

Thomas Frank was supposed to be the antidote to Ange-ball, but, instead, he’s proving to be something, potentially, much worse.

As you can imagine, the mood around Tottenham at the moment is incredibly sour, and after the latest loss to Newcastle United, Jamie O’Hara had a clear message for the Tottenham manager.

Jamie O’Hara calls for Thomas Frank to be sacked

Immediately after full-time, Jamie O’Hara took to social media to share his thoughts on Thomas Frank.

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Unsurprisingly, it was a vote of no confidence from O’Hara as the pundit immediately called for the Spurs manager to be sacked.

On a number of occasions, it’s been easy to label O’Hara reactionary and overly-emotional when it comes to his Tottenham takes, but, on this occasion, the pundit has hit the nail on the head.

Thomas Frank can’t survive at Tottenham

Whether it’s now, after the north London derby or in two weeks’ time after the Fulham game, there’s simply no way this can go on.

Thomas Frank does not have a long-term future at Tottenham Hotspur, he’s lost the fans, he’s clearly lost the players, and, with all due respect, he’s lost the plot.

Less than a decade after moving into their new stadium that was supposed to take them to the next level, Tottenham are at the lowest possible ebb, and, once again, it’s time to make a big change at the head of the club.

Thomas Frank may well go down as the worst manager Tottenham have ever had.

Paul Scholes says he’d love £43m player to sign for Man Utd after he’s checked out at Tottenham

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Paul Scholes says he'd love £43m player to sign for Man Utd after he's checked out at Tottenham - The Spurs News
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Tottenham take on Newcastle tonight, knowing that a huge win is desperately needed.

Thomas Frank is under increasing pressure to get Tottenham back on track in the Premier League, with the class of 2026, one point shy of where last season’s team were under Ange Postecoglou at this stage.

Fill in the blank: It is _______ that Thomas Frank is STILL the manager of Tottenham Hotspur

Frankly – no pun intended – the Premier League performances under Thomas have been a million miles away from where they should be, and the head coach is now feeling the heat.

Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Manchester United saw the wait go on for a domestic victory and with Newcastle in bad form coming into tonight too, Frank knows he needs a morale-boosting win.

Paul Scholes would take Tottenham player at Manchester United

It may come as a surprise that the player Scholes would love to see at Old Trafford is Cristian Romero.

The under-fire captain was dismissed again on Saturday for a needless tackle on Casemiro, leaving his team fighting a battle that they simply couldn’t win against United.

Romero signed for Tottenham for £43 million and after 152 appearances for the club, the former United midfielder thinks he’s growing frustrated in North London.

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Scholes told the The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast: “Yeah, he’s p–sed off with Spurs, and he doesn’t want to be there. He’s had a go at the crowd, he’s had a go at the board. I think he’s had to check out of Spurs a little bit. You know, I’d love him at United”

Tottenham facing really big decision on Romero

It perhaps wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world for Tottenham to cash in on Romero at the end of the season.

The defender has proven time and time again that he just can’t help himself when it comes to needless red cards, and Spurs could perhaps target a quality centre-back in the summer.

Cristian Romero should be stripped of the Tottenham captaincy after this…

He has let his team down way too many times! 😠

It’s hard to fathom that United would make a move for Romero, although with Harry Maguire likely to leave, there is a small chance they will go for a defender during the summer.

Tottenham certainly have a big decision to make over their captain, and if he continues letting his teammates down, he could soon be on his way out of the club.

Spineless Thomas Frank comment shows that the writing is on the wall for him at Tottenham

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As if it wasn’t bad enough that Tottenham haven’t won in the Premier League since December, it would appear as though things aren’t well inside the dressing room.

Tottenham last won in a domestic game on 28th December when Crystal Palace were beaten 1-0 at Selhurst Park, with the last league win at home coming at the start of December.

Thomas Frank is under serious pressure ahead of tonight’s game with Newcastle, and perhaps it’s the brilliant Champions League form that confirms the reason he remains in a job in North London.

Fill in the blank: It is _______ that Thomas Frank is STILL the manager of Tottenham Hotspur

In a further blemish towards Frank, Tottenham are a point worse off at this stage of this season as they were under Ange Postecoglou in 2024/25, and that is extremely concerning.

It would appear as though some things aren’t quite right at the football club at the moment, and on the eve of tonight’s game with Newcastle, Frank has uttered some truly spineless comments.

Ally McCoist slammed Cristian Romero for his latest red card against Manchester United, and it would appear as though the Argentine is incapable of learning from his mistakes.

Romero has been very open about his thoughts on the performance of the football club over the last two seasons, and it’s a bit rich coming from the defender when he keeps letting the team down.

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Romero will miss four important Tottenham matches now, and ahead of tonight’s game, Romero has remarkably defended his captain, despite another needless act.

He said in his press conference: “For me, I think he is a leader. I have said it before, he is a young leader, so he is learning every day.

“I remember when I was 30 years old, I thought I was on top of the world. When you have a player who is playing so much with passion, then sometimes things like that can happen. Of course, he should learn from it.”

These are the type of comments a manager would make after one red card, but after yet another under his tenure, this claim from Frank merely suggests the writing is firmly on the wall.

Clearly, Frank doesn’t want to upset things inside the Tottenham dressing room, and that probably suggests that more people have the back of Romero than the head coach.

Frank would have got a lot more respect had he ruled with an iron fist here, and many supporters wouldn’t have been too bothered had the player been stripped of the captaincy.

Cristian Romero should be stripped of the Tottenham captaincy after this…

He has let his team down way too many times! 😠

Romero being a ‘young leader’ is a laughable comment given that he’s captained Tottenham for an awful long time, and it’s time that he grew up and recognised his importance to the team.

In the club’s current situation, Tottenham can’t have their club captain sitting in the stands more often than he’s playing matches and Frank could now suffer without his skipper.

Frank’s comments smack of someone who is scared to death of upsetting anyone, and they only serve to highlight that his Tottenham tenure is now doomed to fail.

Paul Merson says Tottenham have a player who just keeps letting them down

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Tottenham face Newcastle tonight in desperate need of a win in the Premier League.

Remarkably, Spurs are one point worse off than they were at this stage of last season under Ange Postecoglou, with the club in danger of being embroiled in a relegation battle.

Newcastle arrive in North London tonight in patchy form themselves, and this might be the perfect game for Tottenham to get a big three points on the board.

Fill in the blank: It is _______ that Thomas Frank is STILL the manager of Tottenham Hotspur

With West Ham and Leeds United picking up in recent weeks, the last thing Spurs need is for the club to drop any further down the Premier League table.

Ahead of tonight’s game, pundits have been picking their outcomes for the contest, and it appears it’s a tough one to call.

Paul Merson slams Tottenham star Cristian Romero

Romero is the name on everyone’s lips after his latest moment of madness in Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford.

The Argentine had yet another rush of blood to the head as he went way over the top in a challenge with Casemiro, leading to United seizing the initiative.

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Merson doesn’t think a leopard will ever change his spots, believing Romero will continue letting Tottenham down when he’s back from his four-match ban.

Merson told Sportskeeda: “There is no justification for what Cristian Romero did against Manchester United on Saturday. It was ridiculous from him to get sent off. This isn’t the first time Romero has let Spurs down and as long as he keeps playing, it won’t be the last either.”

Merson makes prediction for Tottenham vs Newcastle

It’s hard to imagine there won’t be goals tonight in this eagerly anticipated clash in the Premier League.

Both teams have had some issues this season, and both Frank and Eddie Howe will view this game as a good chance to get some points on the board.

If you bring ONE Tottenham player back from injury, who are you choosing? 👀

Merson believes the game will end in a 2-2 draw with both teams sharing the spoils at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

It will be interesting to see what sort of team Frank picks and although Newcastle do boast quality, the head coach will surely be eyeing a big three points tonight.

Luka Vuskovic says Tottenham told him something before joining HSV which ‘meant a lot’

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Tottenham Hotspur believe that Luka Vuskovic is the ultimate professional, having been so impressed by his professionalism during pre-season.

Vuskovic is emerging as one of the best young talents in Europe as he continues to impress on loan in the Bundesliga.

🔮 You predict: Where will Tottenham defender Luka Vuskovic be playing next season?

Over recent weeks, Vuskovic has earned praise from legends like Lothar Matthaus following his goal and Man of the Match display against Bayern Munich.

The North London club are well aware of the talent they have on their hands, but they are now leaving him to his own devices at HSV, given how professional he is.

Luka Vuskovic on what Tottenham have told him

Tottenham Hotspur informed Luka Vuskovic before his loan move that they trust him to sort everything by himself at HSV.

The defender has regular contact with the scouting chief, nutritionist and physiotherapist, although the club saw the work he did with his diet and training during pre-season.

When asked what sort of communication he has with Tottenham, Vuskovic told tportal: “I talk to their scouting chief, nutritionist and physiotherapist a lot.

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“When I was there for two months, they saw that I was a professional and that they didn’t have to watch me every step of the way. They trust me with my diet, training and everything, and that means a lot to me.”

Finish the sentence: Tottenham’s most promising youngster is _____________

Tottenham want Vuskovic to return next season, despite the defender’s desire to remain in Germany for at least another season.

Vuskovic wants to play with his brother, Mario, at HSV, who is currently serving a ban which is due to end in November 2026.

The 18-year-old will want to be playing regularly, but right now, it would be tricky for him to start over either Micky van de Ven or Cristian Romero.

Luka Vuskovic on playing in the Premier League

Vuskovic insists that he is not thinking about playing for Spurs or in the Premier League, and will only cross that bridge in the summer.

“The Bundesliga is also a very difficult league. It’s hard for me to say anything about the Premier League now, but I’m telling you, I’m not thinking too much about it or stressing myself,” he said.

“Let’s do this season properly, and then we’ll see in the summer what happens next.”