Former Spurs star Ginola offers his services to boost morale of Lane family

By Sportsmail Reporter Updated: 10:27 EST, 21 October 2008


Former Tottenham favourite David Ginola believes he could be the man to help Spurs's struggling squad kickstart their season - but does not think the club should part with under-fire boss Juande Ramos.

Ginola, who is fondly remembered by Spurs fans for his exhilarating three-year stint at the club between 1997 and 2000, admits he would relish a chance to return to North London in an off-field capacity but believes dispensing with Ramos, whose position has come under intense scrutiny in recent weeks, would not provide a quick fix. 

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Former Tottenham hero Ginola (above left) said he is happy to help out struggling Spurs who lost at Stoke (below)

Offering his services: Former Tottenham hero Ginola (above left) said he is happy to help out struggling Spurs who lost at Stoke (below)

Stoke City's Rory Delap (left) celebrates his goal with Dave Kitson (centre) as Tottenham Hotspur's Alan Hutton looks on

Stoke City's Rory Delap (left) celebrates his goal with Dave Kitson (centre) as Tottenham Hotspur's Alan Hutton looks on

Instead, Ginola wants to see a change of ethos from the boardroom to the training ground and would happily accept the chance to initiate such a revolution.

'I'm frustrated to see the clubs I like struggling so much. 

'Spurs are really in trouble and it's disappointing,' he said. 'The first to be blamed will be the manager of course but when he first arrived he was the best in the world. Now he seems to be called the worst. In a few months he has not become the worst manager in the world.'

Ginola said: 'As a fan of the club, to see them struggling is hard. We all want to see changes but I don't know if changing the manager would be a solution.

'All the politics of the club must change. They need better management - not just on the pitch, but in the offices. Spurs, somewhere, are not making the right decisions.

'I would love to help them. I would love to be back at White Hart Lane, to bring back a bit of spirit, a bit of knowledge about the game. A team is a family - if you forget that you will not be able to have success.'

The 41-year-old former France international has seen close friend Gianfranco Zola return to the Premier League as West Ham coach and would like to bring a similar brand of positivity to White Hart Lane, should he be offered the chance.

David Ginola believes Gianfranco Zola (above) has the same footballing philosophy

Kindred spirits: David Ginola believes Gianfranco Zola (above) has the same footballing philosophy

Speaking as an ambassador for Braun's new TV show Smooth Side Challenge, he added: 'I know Gianfranco Zola very well. We made sure we got things done on the pitch for the fans and we were nice and polite too.

'We shared the same feeling playing football. I very much like his approach to the game and we share the same views.

'I worked at Tottenham as a player and my relationship with the fans and the people at the club was great. I know if I go back I could bring something different - a new vision about how to react to each other, to make sure every player enjoys training and enjoys going out to play on a Saturday.

'We must bring back a family atmosphere to the club. The process is hard but it is something I always did when I played at Spurs.

'I made people around me happy, from the secretary to the people who looked after the shirts. I would love to do that again.'

While Ginola refused to deny he would be interested in the top job should it become available, he nevertheless advocates patience with Ramos.

He was, though, more equivocal on the position of director of football Damien Comolli - another whose job has come under fire during Tottenham's recent travails.

'Comolli seems to always be on the line,' he said. 'He appears to be the one making the decisions for the club and possibly for a few years he has not been making the best decisions.

'To sell (Dimitar) Berbatov, (Robbie) Keane and (Jermain) Defoe has brought a lot of money in but do Tottenham need money or points? This is the question the fans ask themselves.

'These are the players capable of turning a game. You can buy new players but they are desperately in search now and there are not so many of them about.'


David Ginola is launching the first online reality show from Braun - the Smooth Side Challenge. David will be on hand to offer contestants hints and tips and a challenge every week will be uploaded for the readers to watch on www.smoothsidechallenge.co.uk. For more information on Braun products visit www.braun.com/uk.