It can’t have been all Franco Baldini’s fault at Tottenham. But, still, it seemed symbolic that he left the club this week while the after-glow of a thrashing of Manchester City was still Blood Moon red.

Surely it signals that the club’s troublesome fixation with foreign-style management structures is less dogmatic now.

Certainly, now that a stuttering season has finally clicked so spectacularly into gear, it appears that the benefits of allowing the manager, Maurico Pochettino, to get on with things and have more influence over signings are becoming more clear and well-defined.

That is not to say that Baldini got everything wrong despite the fact that he will never escape being associated with the general squandering of the £85 million Gareth Bale windfall.

Pochettino himself and the ever-improving players like Eric Dier are at White Hart Lane right now because of the Italian deal-maker’s influence.

#THFC have parted with Franco Baldini, the mastermind behind the post Bale shopping spree http://t.co/UkliCfuhk9 pic.twitter.com/VD24YIxstf — Standard Sport (@standardsport) September 28, 2015

Now, though, a trip to Swansea in the Premier League at the weekend – after the Europa League visit to Monaco - provides a timely moment to assess this idea of subtle change at Tottenham.

The Welsh club, on the brink of extinction little more than a decade ago, is so well run and so well thought-of that their current position in the game defies a hell of a lot of logic.

They don’t have a Technical Director, which was Baldini’s title at White Hart Lane. They do have a Head of Recruitment, as do Tottenham since last year – the much respected Paul Mitchell.

The summer’s big money signing, the £22 million South Korean, Hueng-min Son, has provided early evidence that this set-up is working well.

Maybe Spurs are at last becoming a football club with a sharper and more domesticated vision of themselves, too, because goodness knows, the years of experimentation with men like Jacques Santini, Juande Ramos, Andre Villas-Boas and Frank Arnesen running things really got them nowhere.

This column berated Spurs mid-way through last season for being dull and mundane. In comparison with the old Glory, Glory teams which once made north London dazzle, they still lack sparkle and magic.

But let’s acknowledge that Pochettino is a manager who does things methodically and structurally.

He is a slow-burner, if you like. After so many sackings in recent decades, that is no bad thing for the club, either. And maybe this style suits Tottenham’s current position just outside of the major elite, with fewer resources than the true giants of Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea.

With this campaign now up and running, the win against City, while it had its elements of good fortune, ought to be the catalyst for something dynamic to begin happening around the place more consistently.

After all, even in the defeat by Arsenal in the League Cup last week, Spurs were the better and more dangerous team, particularly in the second-half.

Gary Neville, the sharply intelligent Sky Sports pundit, was among those who identified the progress being made by Pochettino when he said this week: "It looks to me like Daniel Levy, the chairman, is approaching things a bit differently,

"He's rid himself of Franco Baldini and he's going with Pochettino and his backroom staff. They're going with a more balanced approach and there are certainly signs now that Pochettino is having an effect.”

High fitness levels and emphasis on hard work and energy which are so important to Pochettino have become more apparent in recent weeks, too.

Tottenham's new stadium - In Pictures 6 show all Tottenham's new stadium - In Pictures 1/6 Capital gains Spurs hope to create a thriving and exceptional sports, leisure and entertainment destination in Tottenham Tottenham Hotspur FC 2/6 World class arena The stadium will be the finest anywhere in the world, pledge Spurs Tottenham Hotspur FC 3/6 Top of the world A 'Sky walk' will allow visitors access to stadium roof Tottenham Hotspur FC 4/6 Job creation Once complete Tottenham will go from supporting 1,800 jobs to supporting 3,500 in the area Tottenham Hotspur FC 5/6 A whole new ball game The new venue will host at least two money-spinning NFL games a year for a decade Tottenham Hotspur FC 6/6 Ground force The new stadium will include the largest single tier stand in the UK, now increased to 17,000 seats. Tottenham Hotspur FC 1/6 Capital gains Spurs hope to create a thriving and exceptional sports, leisure and entertainment destination in Tottenham Tottenham Hotspur FC 2/6 World class arena The stadium will be the finest anywhere in the world, pledge Spurs Tottenham Hotspur FC 3/6 Top of the world A 'Sky walk' will allow visitors access to stadium roof Tottenham Hotspur FC 4/6 Job creation Once complete Tottenham will go from supporting 1,800 jobs to supporting 3,500 in the area Tottenham Hotspur FC 5/6 A whole new ball game The new venue will host at least two money-spinning NFL games a year for a decade Tottenham Hotspur FC 6/6 Ground force The new stadium will include the largest single tier stand in the UK, now increased to 17,000 seats. Tottenham Hotspur FC

They were at the core of the performance against Arsenal in what was a frantic cup tie. For Spurs – admittedly with personnel changes – to then thump City in a lunch-time kick-off only three days later was an achievement based on very modern concepts of physical rigour.

This backs up the point made here in a less caustic column about Tottenham at the beginning of this season which lauded the fact that there finally seemed to be a coherent transfer market plan at work at Spurs.

At that point, Pochettino had signed only Toby Alderweireld, Kieran Trippier and Kevin Wimmer. None of them are glamorous names but they had been bought specifically to address the team’s chronic defensive problems.

With Dier impressively shifting into a robust midfield role, too, Spurs have conceded only five Premier League goals so far.

Okay, until City were whacked, they had only scored five, too... hence their ho-hum start to the season. But if Harry Kane really does have lift-off after finally breaking his domestic duck, the change could become more deeply embedded.

All of this is taking place against a significant backdrop – the huge hole standing next to White Hart Lane.

The clearance work for the new stadium is advancing. The site is vast. It is a potent symbol on match-days of the change to come, which should massively increase the club’s financial power.

The return of a real semblance of glory may have to wait until then.

But finally, for supporters who were bewildered for so long by the way the club operated, there is evidence on and off the pitch of successful planning and progress.

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