Hughton set for bigger role to help Pleat

Tottenham may give more responsibilities to Chris Hughton to ease David Pleat's workload as they continue their search for a permanent successor to Glenn Hoddle.

Spurs may not be able to get any of their managerial targets, including Celtic's Martin O'Neill, this season, and acting manager Pleat, whose side beat Aston Villa yesterday to climb to 12th in the table, has pushed for the club to clarify the situation.

Pleat said: "The club will be putting out a statement sometime before Christmas. I am just trying to explain how things work and how things can work. What we should be looking at is having a head coach in charge of the senior players, worried just about coaching and the game on a Saturday."

Hughton would be put in charge only of first-team affairs on a temporary basis until May, with Pleat reverting to his position as the club's director of football.

Pleat said: "Chris has already done a terrific job here. We have carried things for the past few weeks. A director of football would sort out players' contracts and deal with those awful people called agents." The changes are expected to be sanctioned at the club's AGM on 11 December.

Hughton, who has been with the club since 1979, is also assistant coach with the Republic of Ireland. It is the third time the two men have worked together in this role, and Hughton also played for Pleat when he was the manager in the late 1980s.

Pleat, who has been in charge since Hoddle was axed in September, has been left to deal with speculation about the manager's job as well as remain involved in contract negotiations with players. The increased workload has taken its toll on the 58-year-old, who has pulled Spurs away from the foot of the table. Goals from Rohan Ricketts and Robbie Keane earned Spurs victory over Villa, and Pleat confirmed today he is close to reaching an agreement with Ricketts on a new three-year deal. The former Arsenal midfielder's contract expires in the summer.