That 'Tottenham' and 'Gennaro Gattuso' were even being mentioned in the same sentence suggests everything is not as it should be in the Lilywhite half of north London.
That the Italian was ever a contender to be the new Spurs manager is the strongest indication possible of a club struggling to rediscover their identity.
Chairman Daniel Levy's ideal manager delivers success on the pitch and sticks to the script off it. Gattuso, a World Cup winner with Italy in 2006, emerged with some credit from his spells with Milan and Napoli but he has never worked in England and is liable to land his employers in hot water because of his impulsive nature.