International breaks are weird things. Sometimes it’s two weeks of radio silence, where things just don’t happen and the news cycle, apart from news about Nations League and other irrelevant crap, just slows to a crawl. And other times you get some wild news.
This is one of the latter. According to Belgian journalist Sach Tavolieri, Tottenham Hotspur assistant manager and two-time interim head coach Ryan Mason is currently in advanced talks to become the next manager of R.S.C. Anderlecht!
Wow. We know Mason is a young, ambitious coach who has designs to be a full manager, but I think we all assumed that would happen somewhere in the Championship or League One, and not in Belgium. But this is a potentially very exciting appointment for Mason, and for Anderlecht. Mason is replacing former Danish head coach Brian Riemer, who was let go in late September, and would be joining not only a club that’s playing in the Europa League but one that will hopefully challenge Union Saint-Gilloise for the Jupiler League title. Anderlecht has also been something of a springboard for former players breaking into management — particularly Vincent Kompany, who turned a successful stint at his former club into, eventually, the head coaching position at Bayern Munich.
And there’s one more connection — Anderlecht’s club captain is none other than Tottenham Hotspur legend and central defender Jan Vertonghen, meaning Mason would be reuniting with one of his former teammates from his playing days.
Thankfully, Anderlecht is not one of the teams that Spurs drew in the Europa League group stages because that could potentially be awkward. But like Spurs they are 2-0 in the competition and are in the top 8, and there’s a chance they could face each other in the knockouts if they both progress to the next stage of the competition.
Mason has been considered a young future manager on the rise. He joined Tottenham’s academy coaching staff shortly after being forced to retire early from the game when he sustained a significant head injury while playing for Hull City. He has risen quickly through Tottenham’s coaching ranks while at the club and has twice served as an interim manager after the club sacked Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte/Cristian Stellini. He has made no secret of his desire to be a full manager somewhere, and this would be his big chance.
Mason ending up at Anderlecht could have some knock-on effects as well — Mason’s familiarity with the Spurs academy and his friendly relations with the club could potentially signify Anderlecht as a prominent Belgian club to which Spurs could potentially loan players. Mason’s penchant for coaching attacking football and his familiarity with Ange Postecoglou’s tactics could make his Anderlecht team an enticing destination, especially for young players who need first team experience.
He’ll have to prove himself first, but Anderlecht is a team with resources, European pedigree, and really cool purple kits. It’s a plum of a job, and if he gets it I’ll be rooting for him.