You are supposed to have the next coach lined up when you sack a manager, but I don't think Tottenham know who they want as their new boss.
The Spurs chairman Daniel Levy will have a Christmas wish list of who he would like to appoint, but some are not realistic.
I've heard from various sources that they are very much interested in Mauricio Pochettino atSouthampton, but I can't see that happening.
There will be a release clause in his contract that I don't think Spurs will be able to pay, and Michael Laudrup falls into the same category at Swansea.
There will be a hefty fee to be paid if they pursue those avenues. I think they will have to move away from the traditional wish list and try to almost invent the right kind of coach for the predicament they find themselves in after the Andre Villas-Boas collapse.
Frank de Boer has been heavily linked. I think it is difficult to take a manager from Ajax and be sure of what you are getting because you are always protected there by the establishment at the club.
They are full of young players you just have to work with and it is difficult to judge who is bringing players on, and who is doing what at that club. Whether it is the manager or coaches at the club, it is difficult to really know who should be praised.
Frank was a top class player and has done very well with a young Ajax team in the Champions League this year, beating sides such as Barcelona and Celtic and drawing twice with Milan. They were unfortunate not to beat Milan to qualify for the last 16.
There is of course pressure on Frank to win matches in the Netherlands as Ajax manager, but you have to be aware that the competition is less than the Premier League.
Frank might be of a mind to think is this the right move for him.
Spurs is a very difficult club because the expectations are probably unrealistic. A lot of managers will have to think twice about taking that job.
Levy would have said to AVB in the summer that he expected top four despite the sale of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid. Those are the expectations you have to deal with.
I don't think Levy would be the easiest guy to work with when things start to go wrong. He would not be overly supportive.
They haven't spent too much money when you consider they made £85 million off Bale and spent around £100m, but the club will feel they should be doing better with what they have brought in.
I just think the reaction has been amazing from Chelsea and Spurs players to AVB, especially for a young coach who is from the same generation as those players. It must put a massive question mark over his ability as a top European manager.
You have to question if there will be any top jobs in the future for him. Porto are from a weaker league and he has not made the jump up to the Premier League.
In contrast to AVB's inexperience, I've spoken to Dutch players who have worked with Louis van Gaal and Guus Hiddink. They say that Van Gaal is incredibly astute in his tactics, the best going, but Hiddink has an incredible feel for jobs and what is needed in any tough situation. He is tremendous in getting the best out of players.
It might not be long term with Guus, but short term he might be what is needed to get the show back on the road because he has an aptitude for turning clubs around. I think Spurs would take the Champions League and reaching the top four this season. I'm sure Guus could be the sort of man to get the job done.
I wouldn't go for Tim Sherwood on all given knowledge especially with AVB going so badly wrong. He is perhaps slightly older than AVB, but there is no great experience there.
I believe he does have have a relationship with the chairman, but I don't see his credentials to be honest.
Glenn Hoddle is an excellent coach, but his time out of the game is going to work massively against him because football over the past five years has moved on.
I think there would be a lot of respect for him initially as a Spurs icon, but players are brutal and seven years out of the game is not good.
Similarly, Fabio Capello would not be the right choice with Spurs wanting to play in a free-flowing way.
I'm surprised that Spurs haven't been in contact with Atletico Madrid about the possibility of speaking to Diego Simeone.
On a small budget, he has given Atletico a way of playing and has been very successful in competing against Barcelona and Real Madrid in the Spanish league.
He is a manager who players respect. His record speaks for itself, coaching a very good team at the top of Liga and the Champions League.
They've sold Radamel Falcao, but he has wheeled and dealed to some effect, and has got the best out of players like Diego Costa.
On paper, you want a manager to get the best out of his squad. He fits the bill in so many ways.
If you bring in Simeone, you will get the best out of that Tottenham squad. That might still not be enough, but then you can point the finger at the players.
I'm surprised Simeone hasn't figured in the betting for the job, but we should know that the bookies don't know who will get it.
Whoever is brought in needs to have a safe pair of hands. AVB was an experiment that went badly wrong.
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