Tottenham Hotspur did the expected after mutually agreeing to part ways with Antonio Conte Sunday evening. The move was expected, but in classic Tottenham fashion it was probably about a week too late after the Italian’s post-match rant at St. Mary’s.
It was a rollercoaster of a ride throughout Conte’s tenure, which was only about 16 months. It is sad to see the Italian go as he lit a fire inside the club after joining in November of 2021.
Who is to blame for the parting of ways?
Many will say that the blame is all on Conte due to his rigid tactics and lack of squad rotation as well as not committing to a new contract with the club.
Others will state the same core of players have outlasted another manager and should therefore shoulder more of the blame. The same group of players that saw Mauricio Pochettino get sacked in late 2019 have seen Jose Mourinho, Nuno Esiprito Santo, and now Antonio Conte leave the club.
Some will state that Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy and the board should take responsibility for this (as well as the ten plus managers that have been sacked during their stewardship) as they have once again failed a top class manager. In fact, Conte and former Spurs manager Mourinho have won silverware at every club they have managed except Spurs.
Who is in charge at Tottenham for the remainder of the season?
In a surprising move, the club announced that Cristian Stellini, Conte’s right-hand man, will be the interim manager until the end of the season. This will give some Tottenham fans hope that Spurs can finish the season on a high, as Stellini has an excellent record when stepping in as the manager. Ryan Mason will be the assistant manager.
This is an interesting move. When a manager gets sacked/leaves a club in football, most of the time the entire coaching staff leaves as well. The only person to leave with Conte was his brother, Gianluca, who was an analyst.
While interesting, it is also confusing. If Spurs are going to part ways with Conte due to his comments about the club and the boring football being played, why not go down a different route and hire someone with a different approach. Although, Stellini may try new formations as Conte is not at the club. This brings forth the notion that, despite the terrible football, Conte was doing what was asked of him by the board, which is securing fourth place as Spurs currently sit fourth in the PL table.
Last ten matches will be decisive
The last ten matches of the Premier League season for Tottenham Hotspur include clashes with Newcastle and Liverpool away and Manchester United at home.
Those matches will prove to be decisive in the future of the club. They could greatly impact Spurs’ chances of extending Harry Kane’s contract. convincing transfer targets to sign in N17 will show any potential managers what they may be inheriting.
Attacking-minded managers being looked at by Tottenham
As the last few defensive managers have not worked out at Spurs, it appears that the club will look to appoint a manager who wants to play on the front foot.
While this will not solve all of Tottenham’s problems, it is a good start. Finding a manager who wants to be at the club and will play football the way Spurs are meant to be playing with flair and entertainment is crucial.
If any attacking manager is to be brought in, the club and the fans must have patience. The club must fully back the manager’s ideas if they are to be a success. If Spurs go down the short-term route again with another pragmatic manager, they must back the manager even more because of the time crunch.
Daniel Levy’s “approach” has not worked at Tottenham. His idea of lurching from one manager to the next with no real vision has halted Spurs’ progress since Pochettino’s sacking. The point of appointing the short-term managers was to get silverware over the line, but that will not happen unless you get behind the manager and his ideas to the fullest extent.
Who are Tottenham looking to appoint as new manager?
As previously stated, it appears that Spurs will not make a permanent move for a manger until after the season (unless they conjure up a pre-contract agreement).
Since Tottenham were knocked out of the Champions League at the hands of AC Milan, there have been all kinds of managers being linked with the job. This includes well-known, high profile names as well as some who many have never even heard of.
Julian Nagelsmann
Since being abruptly sacked by Bayern Munich, Julian Nagelsmann has been at the forefront of rumors for the Tottenham job.
Nagelsmann ticks all of the boxes for Spurs. He is a young, attacking-minded manager who is quite flexible with his formations and tactics. Nagelsmann is also said to have a soft spot for the club, which fans will enjoy hearing.
However, Nagelsmann’s sacking at Bayern cannot be ignored. Bayern are in a great place despite not having the Bundesliga wrapped up, but because of poor performances, Oliver Kahn felt that a change was necessary.
Maybe the move from Leipzig to Bayern was too big of a jump. Nagelsmann would not be uner the same kind of pressure at Spurs as he would be given time to build the squad in his image.
Mauricio Pochettino
There can never be a managerial rumor about Spurs without Mauricio Pochettino being thrown in the mix. The man seems to be waiting for the club to give him a call.
Pochettino also ticks all of the boxes. He loves the club, wants his side to play on the front foot, and would love to be at Spurs for the long haul.
However, this would mean that Levy must admit failure in sacking Pochettino the first go-around. But if Pochettino was given a better transfer budget than his first stint at the club (and hopefully not going several windows without signing a single player), he could bring Tottenham back to prominence.
Luis Enrique
Luis Enrique, who most recently managed the Spanish national team at the 2022 World Cup, is said to be on Spurs’ radar.
Enrique is another attacking-minded, possession based manager. Enrique has had stints at AS Roma and Barcelona.
However, he is known to have a rather strong personality which could bring forth problems that we saw during the Conte era. No one wants another manager who believes they are bigger than the club..
Appointing Enrique would mean a mass overhaul of the squad and giving some of the current loaned out players another chance. Tottenham does not have the players to play Enrique’s style currently, particularly in defense and midfield.
Ange Postecoglou
Ange Postecoglou is a far-out, intriguing option. But Postecoglou plays the type of football Spurs fans want to see.
The Australian has impressed at Celtic, although it must be stated that the Scottish Premier League and the English Premier League are two completely different animals.
Arne Slot
Arne Slot is another under-the-radar candidate. Slot is currently as Feyenoord, who are first in the Eredivisie at the moment.
Arne Slot is also another manager whose play suits what Tottenham is looking for.
Since Slot’s situation is similar to Postecoglou’s, careful consideration must be made. But given how well Erik ten Hag has been doing at Manchester United, perhaps appointing Slot would be a shrewd move.
Roberto De Zerbi
Brighton and Hove Albion have not missed a beat despite losing Graham Potter to Chelsea. Since coming in, Roberto De Zerbi has done an excellent job as the Seagulls’ manager.
Brighton is on the cusp of Europe as they currently sit seventh in the Premier League with 42 points.
Brighton has been one of the most entertaining teams to watch this season, scoring 46 goals in the PL, which is good enough for fifth-best. De Zerbi has also improved several players, such as Kauro Mitoma and Solly March.
One concerning element to appointing De Zerbi would be how long he has been at Brighton. Do Spurs want to rush in before he completes a full season? Would De Zerbi want to leave Brighton as he has just begun his journey with them?
Another aspect of De Zerbi is that Brighton reportedly has something that resembles a release clause for the Italian. Brighton has gone from producing top-class talents for huge transfer fees to doing the same thing for managers. Daniel Levy is also probably not the type of person to pay another club to acquire a manager’s services.
Tottenham Hotspur has been linked with many managers over the last few weeks. It will be interesting to see how many more ‘final chances’ Daniel Levy will be given by the fans, as it will be difficult to one-up appointing a manager like Antonio Conte who will go on to win silverware at his next club.
It will also be interesting to see which managers are truly considered with Daniel Levy’s need to have the final say and managing director of football Fabio Paratici’s recent verdict. Nonetheless, the next few months will be huge for the club going forward.