Tottenham are set to make Chris Hughton their senior coach in a new continental-style set-up as a long-term replacement for manager Glenn Hoddle.
Caretaker manager David Pleat will move aside as director of football — the position he occupied before Hoddle was sacked in September — with Hughton running the first team.
Pleat says the English Premiership club will probably outline the new management set-up at their annual general meeting on December 11.
”Chris Hughton is doing a terrific job — can you write that?” Pleat told BBC Radio.
”There is Chris Hughton; Clive Allen, who is part-time; and me, and we have been carrying it for the past few weeks and we feel that the players have got a spirit.
”Chris is also working with the Republic of Ireland and he was away with them last week so he is working tremendously hard, we all are.
”The club will be making a statement before Christmas. That is all I know and that is all I can say. I am just trying to explain how things work and how things can work.
”The club’s annual meeting is coming up on December 11 and we’ll be able to say more then regarding the role and how we view it, and how we are going to take it forward.”
Hughton, a former Republic of Ireland defender, spent 11 years as a player at White Hart Lane and has now worked under five different managers as a coach there.
Spurs avoided a third consecutive defeat with a 2-1 win over Aston Villa on Sunday, which lifted them to 12th in the table. — Sapa-AFP