So, whose idea was 18 months? Theirs? His? What chairman, if he could pull off a coup like securing Antonio Conte, would have him as good as working his notice the day he walks through the door?
This was, we presume, pretty near to Plan A last summer. If the romantic reunion with Mauricio Pochettino was more hope than expectation, the name that jumped out from Tottenham's interminable shortlist was Conte's.
A winner at Juventus, at Chelsea, with Inter Milan, a manager with Premier League experience, a trophy collector, high maintenance but worth it. He assessed Tottenham's status, saw the roadmap for the future, and ran a mile.
On first sight, Antonio Conte's move to Spurs appears a great coup but all is not as it seems
Now what has changed? Do Tottenham have better prospects than the summer, have they released transfer funds, have they shown this squad to be much more than Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and a mediocre supporting cast?
If so, we're missing something. Tottenham appear to be the same club Conte rejected in June, except lying ninth with five defeats already this season and fewer goals than two of the teams in the bottom three. The money's good, but what does it say if Conte could be a free agent in less than two seasons? On first sight it feels like a brilliant coup, but on closer inspection it isn't quite right.
It's a matter of trust. Is there any? Either Conte doesn't trust Tottenham to provide the financial support he needs, or they can't trust Conte not to be disappointed by their plans and walk.
The 52-year-old Italian rejected the North Londoners last summer, so what has changed?
Otherwise, if both parties were convinced, why wouldn't Tottenham be trying to tie their man down for longer? And why wouldn't Conte commit to the Pochettino-like overhaul the club needs?
It's a brilliant appointment. It's the man Manchester United should have gone for, rather than continuing their cliff edge walk. Maybe that's why Daniel Levy acted so quickly. By the weekend, after a visit to Atalanta and a home fixture with Manchester City, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's future might be subject to speculation again. Get Conte in fast, and damn the cost. That much we understand.
Yet not the short-termism. That is the way Conte likes it, we are told — a couple of seasons and then gone, hit and run. Yet Pep Guardiola wasn't supposed to hang around for five seasons at Manchester City.
