Three reasons Tottenham Hotspur should pass on available manager

Two more reasons for Tottenham to pass on Nuno Espirito Santo

The closest Santo has come is a Semi-finals loss to Watford in the 2019 FA Cup. Watford ended up 11th in the table that season and were thoroughly trounced, 6-0 in the final, which Santo did not reach. Beyond having never won a cup or even coached in a cup final, Santo does not consistently win.

Santo has never averaged 2 points per match at a club

Despite two seasons at Porto, where he managed to reach the Champions League qualifiers without winning the league, Nuno Espirito Santo has never coached a team that has averaged 2 points per contest. His Porto teams averaged 1.96 per match, which over 38 games is 74 points.

74 points would have a team in second in the Premier League but Santo has only averaged 1.69 points per match with Wolves. Further this season, Wolves are only averaging 1.18 points per match, for 45 points over 37 matches and are 12th in the table.

If Santo had consistently won at some other club this would be different but the reality is he has been a middle-of-the-road manager everywhere he has gone. If Tottenham is to compete with the big boys they need someone who knows how to consistently win. Especially against the best, which is another place Nuno struggles.

Santo has struggled against the big six at Wolves, including Tottenham

Wolverhampton has been a solid team for much of Nuno Espirito Santo’s tenure, however, they have not exactly been punching way above their weight. Because when it comes to the top half clubs in the league, Santo has not performed well.

Santo has coached against the “Big Six” 40 times according to transfermarket.com. In those 40 matches, his combined record is 12-10-18, for 48 total points or just 1.15 points per match.

In fact, Wolves under Santo only have a winning record against 1 of the Big Six sides – Arsenal – who they are 3-2-1 against. Santo has split with Manchester United, going 2-4-2 in 8 matches, and split with Chelsea, going 2-2-2 in six matches.

However, in seven matches, Santo has only beaten Liverpool once and Manchester City twice. Even despite the tough times from a Spurs’ perspective against Wolverhampton, the truth is the Wolves have been 2-1-3, for just 1.17 points per match against Tottenham.

If we expand our review and include Leicester, Santo is 2-3-4 (1 ppm) in nine matches against the Foxes and has the same 2-1-3 record against Everton as he does against Tottenham. In fact, West Ham is the ONLY current Premier League team top half side Santo averages 2 ppm against, having gone 4-0-2 in six games against the Hammers.

The bottom line for Tottenham

The fact remains that Tottenham needs someone who can lead from experience, not be gaining that experience on the job. Having never won a trophy, having never earned 2 points per match, and having a poor record against the top half teams, Nuno Espirito Santo is not the answer for Tottenham.

There is a reason Wolves are moving on now as their time with Santo has gone that should not mean his time with Tottenham is about to begin.