ryan mason tottenham
Ryan Mason has admitted that he is “not the manager for the future” after being pressed on the speculation around Harry Kane. Mason, who is expected to return to his head of development role within Spurs’ academy this summer unless the next manager wants him on his coaching staff, said he was far from feeling awkward under the added limelight.
Ryan Mason said “No, I’m not uncomfortable at all. I couldn’t be more comfortable. I’m at the club I love. I’ve got people around me who are great. I feel at home here. The players have been excellent with me. The fans, I’m sure I’m going to feel their support tomorrow, towards the group as well. So answering questions comes with the role, it’s normal. I’ve said all along I’ve always looked at managers, coaches, how they deal with these sort of things. Everyone has their own way. For me, I am in a different position to most. I’ve been given the duty of taking the football club for the remaining seven games of the season, so there are certain questions I can’t answer because I don’t know. I’m not the manager for the future so I can’t answer the questions, I’m not in those conversations about next season, what the squad’s going to look like, who we want to bring in, because my focus in on the next two games. So in terms of being uncomfortable, no I’m really comfortable. I’m really happy. I feel at home. The players are great. Everyone around me is great. So I expect it. It’s you guys’ jobs. I know that. I’m not naïve. I’ve been involved in the media when I stopped playing. I know what it’s like. I respect you guys. I respect you asking me the questions but I also know you respect that there are certain questions that I don’t know the answer to.”
Mason has had a crash course in management in recent weeks, with the speculation, winning three of his four Premier League matches and having the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City within six days of taking the job.
Ryan Mason said “My focus hasn’t deviated [with the added speculation]. I’ve been committed. I feel like we have helped the team, helped the group. It’s part of football. I experienced it as player. I’ve been given this opportunity and I feel I wouldn’t have been handed this opportunity if the club didn’t feel like I was ready to help the team and Tottenham Hotspur. I feel very proud. In terms of my own personal situation, of course it’s great – I feel like I’ve learned a lot. As a player they helped me to arrive in this situation and maybe be able to deal with it in the way I have. It’s no problem, it’s normal. When you represent a big club there is always going to be speculation. Football, when you lose it’s horrible, when you win it’s great. In terms of a crash-course, you could say that, but it’s something I feel comfortable dealing with.”
One thing Mason could speak about was the impact Kane, who has scored 220 goals and 46 assists in just 334 games, has made at Tottenham and what he means to the people there.
Ryan Mason said “He means a lot. He has been exceptional for the football club and I am sure he will be. He is great for our academy because they have a role model to look up to. We’ve got some great players in the academy who hopefully are going to make that step and play in the first team in the coming years. So that is important. It is always important for our fans to see academy players coming through the system and helping the football club. We have got Harry, Winksy, Jaffa [Tanganga] the other night. It is great. It is important that the academy players help the team. It is important because the feeling it has around the club is a positive one.”
The 29-year-old interim head coach has not been spared the tough questions during his month at the helm. His first press conference last month was spent fielding questions about Tottenham’s doomed and controversial Super League involvement and then this Tuesday brought a hail of questions about the future of Kane, following reports that the England captain had asked to leave the club. Across two press conferences on Tuesday, Mason was asked 16 questions about Kane and the prospect of him leaving Spurs this summer. The young coach was asked whether being thrust into the hot seat as the Tottenham spokesman but without the answers made him uncomfortable.
